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(J.  Z.  TYLER,  General  Editor.) 

CONSISTING  OF  A  SERIES  OF  SMALL 
BOOKS  ALONG  THE  LINES  OF  BIBLE 
STUDY,  THE  STUDY  OF  MISSIONS,  AND 
THE  STUDY  OF  THE  HISTORY  AND 
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By  B.  B.  Tyler 

III.      HAND-BOOK  OF  MISSIONS 
By  A.  McLean 


Second  Series 

I.      LIFE  AND  TEACHINGS  OF  JESUS 
By  Herbert  L.  Willett 

II.     SKETCHES  OF  OUR   PIONEERS 
By  Frederick  D.  Power 

III.      MISSIONARY     FIELDS     AND     FORCES 

OF  THE  DISCIPLES 

By    William   J.    Lhamon 

ZTbtrt)  Series 

I.     THE  PROPHETS  OF  ISRAEL 
By  Herbert  L.  Willett 

II.     BIBLE  DOCTRINE  FOR  YOUNG 
DISCIPLES 

By  Frederick  D.  Power 

III.      HEROES  OF  MODERN   MISSIONS 
By  William  J.  Lhamon 

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Bethany  C.  E.  Reading  Courses 


Sketches  of  Our  Pioneers 
t 


BY 


Frederick   D.  Power 


Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 

Chicago  New  York  Toronto 


Copyrifi**    1898, 
By    J.    2,     i'YLER. 


The  National  Convention  of  the  Disciples 
of  Christ,  held  in  Springfield,  Illinois,  Octo- 
ber 16-23,  1896,  adopted  the  following  recom- 
mendations: 

"1.  That  this  convention  approve  the  idea  of 
adding,  within  certain  limits,  the  educational  feature 
to  the  Christian  Endeavor  Societies  among  us.  This 
added  educational  feature  shall  include  helps  for 
the  systematic  reading  of  the  Bible,  a  selected  course 
of  reading  concerning  missions  in  general,  and  our 
own  missions  in  particular,  and  thorough  instruction 
as  to  the  origin,  the  principles,  and  the  history  of  our 
own  movement  for  the  restoration  of  New  Testament 
Christianity. 

"2.  That  this  convention  approve  of  the  purpose 
to  provide  a  series  of  hand-books  for  our  young  peo- 
ple covering  the  fields  not  already  satisfactorily  cov- 
ered." 


FOREWORD. 


From  the  very  first,  the  reformatory  move- 
ment of  the  Disciples  of  Christ  has  been  hon- 
ored by  the  names  of  men  of  great  faith  and 
"mighty  in  the  Scriptures."  Among  them 
were  many  of  marked  ability,  of  excellent 
learning,  and  of  heroic  mould.  In  their  con- 
flicts with  a  condition  of  things  inherited  from 
darker  centuries  they  shattered  the  traditional 
dogmatism  of  many  generations.  They  sought 
to  distinguish  between  faith  and  opinion,  be- 
tween the  teachings  of  Christ  and  his  apostles 
and  the  teachings  which  have  grown  up  since 
New  Testament  times.  As  with  one  voice 
they  plead  for  freedom  from  all  that  is  not 
taught  in  the  Scriptures,  either  by  explicit 
statement  or  approved  precedent,  and  for  un- 
compromising loyalty  to  all  that  is  therein  so 
taught.  The  cardinal  points  upon  which 
they  found  themselves  in  perfect  agreement, 
and  for  which  they  earnestly  contended  with 
great  persistency,  have  been  summarily  stated 
in   the  following  items  : 


FOREWORD. 

i.  The  sufficiency  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures 
as  a  rule  of   faith. 

2.  That  the  New  Testament  contains  the 
will  of  God  concerning  our  duty.  In  this  dis- 
pensation of  grace  God  speaks  to  us  by  his  Son. 

3.  That  faith  must  have  Jesus  Christ  for  its 
object,  and  not  opinions  and  speculations  of 
men. 

4.  That  there  must  be  a  thus  saith  the 
Lord,  either  in  explicit  statement  or  approved 
precedent,  for  every  article  of  faith  and  item  of 
practice. 

5.  That  sinners  must  now  be  told  to  do 
just  what  they  were  told  to  do  in  the  days  of 
the  apostles  to  obtain  pardon  of  sins. 

6.  That  there  should  be  a  complete  restora- 
tion of  the  ordinances  as  they  were  in  the 
beginning. 

7.  They  protested  against  sects  and  sec- 
tarianism. 

8.  They  deplored  divisions  in  the  body 
of  Christ,  and  plead  for  Christian  union. 

9.  They  demanded,  as  they  gave,  the  lar- 
gest liberty  of  opinion,  but  asked  for  unity  in 
matters  of  faith. 

10.  The  entire  reproduction  of  the  apos- 
tolic church,  its  doctrines  in  their  simplicity, 
its  practice  without  change. 


FOREWORD. 

In  point  of  time  we  are  getting  far  re- 
moved from  the  beginning  of  this  religious 
movement.  The  present  generation  is  but 
little  familiar  with  the  names  and  the  sacrifices 
of  the  heroic  men  and  women  who  wrere  its 
pioneers.  We  owe  to  them  a  great  debt.  We 
have  in  them  a  glorious  heritage.  We  should 
become  acquainted  with  their  characters  and 
their  labors  and  should  catch  the  inspiration 
of  their  noble  deeds.  We  can  not  too  faith- 
fully hold  up  their  teachings  and  examples  as 
worthy  the  admiration  of  the  world  and  the 
imitation  of  our  youth. 

These  sketches  are  necessarily  brief.  In 
a  volume  so  limited  we  can  do  but  scant  justice 
even  to  the  most  prominent  figures  of  our  heroic 
period.  Many  pioneers  will  occur  to  older  Dis- 
ciples that  are  not  even  named  here.  We  have 
aimed  to  treat  as  satisfactorily  as  possible  the 
men  who  were  the  moulders  of  our  policy  and 
directors  of  our  movement  in  the  early  time. 
We  lay  no  claim  to  originality,  but  gladly  ac- 
knowledge our  obligation  to  the  different  biog- 


FOREWORD. 

raphers  of  these  pioneers.  Leaders  of  circles 
should,  as  far  as  possible,  secure  the  larger 
biographies  of  the  men  whose  work  we  have 
sought  briefly  to  outline,  and  the  lives  of  others 
not  treated  in  this  hand-book.  Each  circle  of 
readers  should  make  a  special  study  of  the 
pioneers  of  its  own  state  and  should  enlist  the 
older  church  members,  who  may  recall  the 
times  of  the  fathers,  to  give  them  the  advant- 
age of  their  personal  recollections. 

Kentucky  must  have  the  lead  in  this  his- 
tory. Stone  is  the  pioneer  of  all  the  pioneers. 
He  and  his  associates  announced  to  uthe  church 
and  the  world  on  the  28th  of  June,  1804,  that 
they  took  from  that  day  forward  and  forever, 
the  Bible  alone  as  a  rule  0/  faith  and  practice 
to  the  exclusion  of  all  human  creeds,  co?ifessions 
and  disciplines \  and  the  na?ne  Christian  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  sectarian  or  denominatio?ial 
designatioiis  or  names"  Thomas  Campbell  did 
not  come  to  America  until  1807,  and  the 
'  Declaration  and  Address  "  was  not  pub- 
lished until  1809.  F.  D.  P. 
Washington,  D.C.,  September,  1898. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Foreword 7 

I.  Barton  Warren  Stone 11 

II.  Barton  Warren  Stone — Continued 16 

III.  Thomas  Campbell 22 

IV.  Alexander  Campbell 27 

V.  Alexander  Campbell— Continued 33 

VI.  Alexander  Campbell — Continued 39 

VII.  Walter  Scott 46 

VIII.  Walter  Scott— Continued 52 

IX.  Walter  Scott— Continued 57 

X.  John  T.  Johnson 63 

XI.  John  Smith 71 

XII.  John  Smith— Continued 79 

XIII.  Samuel  Rogers 88 

XIV.  TheCreaths 96 

XV.  Bentley,  Henry,  Raines,  Hayden 103 

XVI.  O'Kane,  Goodwin,  Hoshour,  Mathes 112 

XVII.  Allen,  Hopson,  Lard 119 

XVIII.  Burnet,  Richardson,  Shepard,  Pendleton 125 

XIX.  Bullard,  Coleman,  Shelbume 132 

XX.  Isaac  Erret: 142 


Sketches  of  Our  Pioneers. 


CHAPTER  L 

BARTON  WARREN   STONE. 

This  co-laborer  of  Alexander  Campbell 
was  born  at  Port  Tobacco,  Md.,  December  24, 
1772.  He  was  the  son  of  John  Stone  and 
Mary  Warren.  When  very  young  his  father 
died,  and  his  mother  moved  to  Pittsylvania 
County,  Virginia,  in  1779,  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary War.  General  Greene  and  Lord  Corn- 
wallis  fought  at  Guilford  Court  House,  N.  C, 
about  thirty  miles  from  his  home,  and  young 
Stone  heard  the  roar  of  their  guns.  He  at- 
tended school  for  four  or  five  years,  and  re- 
ceived instruction  in  the  simpler  branches. 
He  was  a  great  reader;  but  could  get  but  few 
books.  Religion  was  at  a  low  ebb  following 
the  war;  the  Bible  was  little  read,  the  Lord's 
day  was  given  to  pleasure,  and  the  houses  of 
worship  were  deserted.  Then  came  the  Bap- 
tists into  that  region,  and  young  Stone  was 


12  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

greatly  impressed  by  the  scenes  he  witnessed 
at  their  revivals.  People  claimed  to  be  de- 
livered from  sin  by  dreams,  visions,  voices 
or  apparitions,  or  the  actual  sight  of  the  Sav- 
iour. u  Knowing  nothing  better,'*  he  tells  us, 
u  I  considered  this  to  be  the  work  of  God  and 
the  way  of  salvation."  These  preachers  had 
a  way  of  affecting  their  hearers  by  a  M  singing 
voice"  in  preaching. 

Following  these  came  the  Methodists,  who 
were  very  plain  and  humble,  but  zealous  men, 
and  were  wrarmly  opposed  by  the  Baptists, 
who  represented  them  as  M  the  locusts  of  the 
Apocalypse,"  and  warned  the  people  against 
them.  Young  Stone's  mind  was  much  agi- 
tated by  their  conflicting  teachings.  He  had 
an  earnest  desire  for  religion,  and  often  retired 
in  secret  to  pray,  but,  ignorant  as  to  what  was 
required  of  him,  he  became  discouraged,  and 
joined  in  the  sports  of  the  time. 

February,  1790,  he  entered  Guilford  Acad- 
emy, North  Carolina,  worked  hard,  lived  on 
milk  and  vegetables,  and  allowed  himself  only 
six  or  seven  hours  out  of  twenty-four  for  sleep. 
There  was  great  religious  excitement  at  the 
time,  and  many  of  the  students  united  with 
the  Presbyterian  Church.  This  was  distasteful 
to  him,  and  he  determined  to  leave  the  institu- 


BARTON   WARREN   STONE.  ±3 

tion,  but  a  little  circumstance  changed  his 
plans.  His  room-mate  asked  him  to  go  with 
him  to  hear  the  preacher.  The  sermon  so  im- 
pressed him  that  he  resolved  to  become  a 
Christian.  For  a  year  he  was  tossed  on  the 
waves  of  uncertainty,  laboring,  praying,  and 
striving  to  obtain  ''saving  faith/'  sometimes 
desponding  and  almost  despairing.  The  com- 
mon doctrine  was  that  men  were  so  totalty  de- 
praved they  could  not  believe,  repent,  and 
obey  the  gospel ;  regeneration  was  the  im- 
mediate work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  now  was 
not  the  accepted  time,  but  the  sinner  must 
wait 

While  in  this  state  he  heard  a  sermon  on 
the  words,  ' '  The  Sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken 
Spirit. "  It  described  his  condition,  and  hope 
sprang  anew  in  his  breast.  But  another  ser- 
mon on  ' '  Weighed  in  the  Balances  and  Found 
Wanting,' p  cast  him  down  as  profoundly  as 
before,  and  his  days-  were  full  of  sighs  and 
groans.  Still  another  discourse,  on  "God  is 
Love,"  gave  him  great  comfort,  and  he  found 
his  way  to  peace. 

He  was  very  poor.  He  could  not  secure 
sufficient  clothing.  But  he  passed  through  the 
Academy,  and  in  1793  became  a  candidate  for 
the  ministry.     The  particular  subjects  assigned 


14  BE  ETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

him  for  study  were  the  Trinity  and  the  being 
and  attributes  of  God.  "Witsius  on  the 
Trinity"  greatly  confused  him,  and  before  he 
was  licensed  he  became  so  unsettled  by  the 
doctrines  presented  that  he  determined  to 
give  up  the  idea  of  preaching,  and  early  in 
1795  he  went  to  Georgia  and  became  teacher 
of  languages  in  a  Methodist  school  near  Wash- 
ington. In  the  spring  of  1796,  however,  he 
returned  to  North  Carolina,  and  was  licensed 
to  preach.  He  preached  for  a  time  in  Wythe 
County,  Virginia,  and  then  journeyed  into 
Tennessee,  preaching  at  Cumberland.  The 
Indians  were  still  in  this  region,  and  he  had 
several  narrow  escapes  from  them.  In  1798 
he  was  regularly  ordained  pastor  of  Caneridge 
and  Concord  churches,  Bourbon  County,  Ken- 
tucky. Knowing  he  would  be  required  to 
adopt  the  Confession  of  Faith,  he  determined 
to  examine  it.  This  was  the  beginning  of  sor- 
rows. The  doctrines  of  election,  reprobation, 
and  predestination,  and  of  the  Trinity  as  set 
forth  in  that  instrument,  he  could  not  accept. 
When  the  Presbytery  put  the  question,  "How 
far  are  you  willing  to  accept  the  Confession?'* 
he  answered,  4<As  far  as  I  see  it  consistent 
with  the  Word  of  God, "  and  on  that  statement 
they  ordained  him. 


BARTON    WARREN   STONE.  15 

His  mind  was  constantly  tossed  on  the  waves 
of  speculative  theology,  the  all-engrossing 
theme  of  that  period.  ' '  I  .believed  and  taught, " 
he  declares,  "that  mankind  were  so  totally  de- 
praved that  they  could  do  nothing  acceptable 
to  God  till  his  Spirit,  by  some  physical,  almighty 
and  mysterious  power,  had  quickened,  en- 
lightened and  regenerated  the  heart,  and  thus 
prepared  the  sinner  to  believe  in  Jesus  for  sal- 
vation. Often  when  addressing  listening  mul- 
titudes on  the  doctrine  of  total  depravity,  their 
inability  to  believe,  and  the  necessity  of  the 
physical  power  of  God  to  produce  faith;  and 
then  persuading  the  helpless  to  repent  and  be- 
lieve the  gospel,  my  zeal  would  be  chilled  by 
the  contradiction.  How  can  they  believe? 
How  can  they  repent?  How  can  they  do  im- 
possibilities ?  How  can  they  be  guilty  in  not 
doing  them?  Wearied  with  the  works  and 
doctrines  of  men,  I  made  my  Bible  my  constant 
companion.  I  earnestly,  honestly,  and  pray- 
erfully sought  for  the  truth,  determined  to  buy 
it  at  the  sacrifice  of  everything  else." 

In  1 80 1  he  was  led  "out  of  the  labyrinth 
of  Calvinism  and  error  into  the  rich  pastures 
of  gospel  liberty.* '  He  preached  from  Mark 
xvi:  16  on  the  universality  of  the  gospel  and 
faith  as  the  condition  of  salvation,  and  urged 


1G  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

sinners  to  believe  now  and  be  saved.  His  con- 
gregation was  greatly  affected.  He  tells  how 
religious  excitement  ran  high  at  this  time.  In 
the  revivals  scores  would  fall  to  the  ground 
pale,  trembling,  speechless.  Some  attempted 
to  fly  from  the  scene  panic-stricken,  but  either 
fell  or  returned  to  the  crowd,  as  if  unable  to 
get  away.  An  intelligent  deist  approached 
him  and  said,  u  Mr.  Stone,  I  always  thought 
you  an  honest  man,  but  now  I  am  convinced 
you  are  deceiving  the  people."  "  I  viewed 
him  with  pity,  and  mildly  spoke  a  few  words 
to  him.  Immediately  he  fell  as  a  dead  man, 
and  rose  no  more  till  he  confessed  the  Saviour. " 


Review:  When  and  where  was  B.  W.  Stone 
horn?  Where  was  his  early  life  spent?  What  were 
the  religious  influences  surrounding  him  ?  What  of 
his  struggles  on  entering  the  ministry?  To  what 
degree  did  he  accept  the  confession  of  faith  ?  How 
did  the  doctrine  of  total  depravity  affect  him?  How 
was  he  led  out  of  error  ? 


CHAPTER  II. 

B.  W.  STONE. 
(Continued.) 

July  2,    iSoi,    B.  \V.  Stone  married   Miss 
Elizabeth    Campbell,    a   pious     woman.       In 


BARTON   WARREN    STONE.  17 

August  of  the  same  year  came  the  great  meet- 
ing at  Caneridge.  "  The  roads, n  he  tells  us, 
4  ■  were  crowded  wTith  wagons,  carriages, 
horsemen  and  footmen,  moving  to  the  solemn 
camp."  The  number  was  estimated  as  be- 
tween twenty  and  thirty  thousand.  Method- 
ists and  Baptists  united  with  them  in  these 
meetings.  The  services  continued  six  or  seven 
days  until  provisions  gave  out.  There  wrere 
many  conversions.  Most  remarkable  bodily 
agitations  wrere  seen  here.  Some  with  a  pierc- 
ing scream  would  fall  like  a  log  and  appear 
dead  for  an  hour  at  a  time  and  awTake  crying 
for  mercy.  Others  would  be  seized  w7ith  * '  the 
jerks,"  sometimes  the  head  alone  being  af- 
fected, jerking  backward  and  forwrard  or  from 
side  to  side  so  quickly  the  features  could  not 
be  distinguished,  or  moving  backward  and 
forward  till  the  head  would  almost  touch  the 
floor.  Wicked  people  cursing  "the  jerks" 
would  be  seized  with  this  exercise.  Sometimes 
the  jerks  wTould  cease  and  they  wrould  begin 
to  dance,  praying  and  praising  as  they  moved 
until  they  fell  exhausted.  Barking  wTould 
also  at  times  accompany  this  strange  affection, 
and  at  other  times  loud,  hearty  laughter.  The 
subject  of  these  curious  agitations  would  be 
solemn  and  his  laughter  or  actions  wrould  im- 


18  [E8  of  our.  PIONEERS. 

press  others  with  the  deepest  solemnity.  It 
was  indescribable.  The  running  exercise  was 
another  of  these  manifestations  when  through 
fear  persons  would  run  until  they  fell.  Some 
indulged  in  a  peculiar  singing,  the  sound  is- 
suing not  from  the  lips  but  from  the  breast, 
and  the  music  was  described  as  heavenly. 

Stone  was  employed  day  and  night,  preach- 
ing, singing,  praying  and  visiting,  until  his 
lungs  failed  him  and  he  felt  that  his  end  was 
near.  His  special  associates  at  this  time  were 
Richard  McNemar,  John  Thompson,  John 
Dunlavey,  Robert  Marshall  and  David  Purvi- 
ance.  The  distinguishing  doctrine  they 
preached  was  that  God  loved  the  world — the 
whole  world,  and  sent  his  Son  to  save  men  on 
condition  that  they  believed  on  him,  that  the 
gospel  was  the  means  of  salvation,  but  to  be 
effectual  must  be  believed  and  obeyed  by  the 
sinner,  that  God  required  men  to  believe  and 
had  given  sufficient  evidence  in  his  Word  to 
produce  faith,  that  sinners  were  capable  of  un- 
derstanding and  believing  the  testimony  and 
acting  upon  it  by  coming  to  Christ  and  obey- 
ing him,  and  from  him  obtaining  salvation 
and  the  Holy  Spirit.  They  urged  the  sinner 
to  believe  HOW  and  to  receive  salvation,  that  in 
vain  they  looked  for  the   Spirit  to  be  given  to 


BARTON    WARREN    STONE.  19 

them  while  remaining  in  unbelief.  God  was 
willing  to  save  nowt  and  no  previous  qualifica- 
tion wras  required  as  necessary  to  come  to 
Christ. 

This  teaching  aroused  the  sticklers  for  or- 
thodoxy, and  they  cried,  u  The  confession  is 
in  danger!"  The  matter  came  before  the 
Synod  of  Kentucky,  at  Lexington,  which  re- 
sulted in  the  suspension  of  Stone  and  his  co- 
laborers.  They  were  bitterly  assailed  on  all 
sides.  Stone  called  together  his  congregations 
and  stated  he  could  no  longer  conscientiously 
preach  the  doctrines  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
but  wrould  henceforward  labor  to  extend  the 
Redeemer's  kingdom  irrespective  of  party, 
and  dissolved  his  connection  wTith  them.  At 
this  time,  also,  he  emancipated  his  slaves  and 
retired  to  his  farm.  He  continued  preaching, 
however,  night  and  day.  He  concluded  to 
throw  all  creeds  overboard  and  to  take  the 
name  "  Christian."  . 

In  1804  he  had  become  disturbed  on  the 
question  of  baptism  and  was  immersed,  and 
came  also  to  feel  that  baptism  was  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins  as  Acts  ii:  38  occurred  to  him  while 
mourners  wTere  gathered  at  the  altar  and  were 
being  prayed  for,  but  for  the  full  Scriptural 
views  of  the  design  of  baptism  he  acknowledges 


20  SKETCHES   OF   OUR    PIONEERS. 

his  indebtedness  to  A.  Campbell.  In  the 
winter  of  1809  his  only  son  died,  and  in  May 
following  his  wife,  leaving  four  daughters. 
In  181 1  he  married  again,  a  cousin  of  his  first 
wife.  About  this  time  A.  Campbell  visited 
Kentucky.  He  saw  no  distinction  between 
Campbell's  teaching  and  that  he  had  preached 
for  years  except  on  the  doctrine  of  baptism 
for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  the  practice  of 
weekly  communion.  He  did  not  think  Mr. 
Campbell  sufficiently  explicit  on  the  influ- 
ences of  the  Holy  Spirit.  In  1831  special 
meetings  were  held  in  Georgetown  and  Lexing- 
ton, and  a  union  between  the  followers  of 
Stone  and  Campbell  was  readily  secured. 

In  1S26,  Stone  began  the  publication  of  the 
ChristiciJi  Messe?iger.  John  T.  Johnson  was 
associated  with  him.  The  work  went  forward 
with  great  success,  and  A.  Campbell's  visits  to 
the  state  gave  it  renewed  impetus.  In  iv 
Stone  moved  to  Jacksonville,  111.  In  1S41  he 
was  stricken  with  paralysis,  still  he  made 
preaching  tours  into  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Ken- 
tucky.    He  died  at  Hannibal,  Mo.,  in  1844. 

Some  years  ago  I  visited  the  old  Caneridge 
meeting-house.  It  was  here  this  great  and  good 
mm  instituted,  in  the  face  of  great  opposition, 
a  church  on  the  Bible  alone,  and  in  harmony 


BARTON   WARREN   STONE.  21 

with  Christ  the  great  head  of  the  church,  and 
in  pursuance  of  apostolic  example,  called  it  the 
"Christian  Church' '  or  "Church  of  Christ,,,  and 
here  on  the  28th  of  June,  1804,  he  proclaimed 
to  the  church  and  to  the  world,  that  he  took 
from  that  day  forward  and  forever  the  Bible 
alone  as  his  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  human  creeds,  confessions,  and 
disciplines,  and  the  name  Christian  to  the 
exclusion  of  all,  sectarian  or  denominational 
names. 

The  union  of  Christians  on  Christ's  own 
terms  was  nearest  and  dearest  to  the  heart  of 
Stone.  For  forty  years  most  sincerely,  indus- 
triously, consistently  and  successfully  he  ad- 
vocated this  doctrine.  He  loved  the  church  of 
God,  and  wished  to  see  it  harmonized.  He 
loved  the  world  lying  in  wickedness,  and  longed 
to  see  the  church  united  that  the  world  might 
be  converted.  Hence  when  the  Campbells 
came  forward  to  advocate  the  return  to  primi- 
tive Christianity  in  faith  and  practice,  laying 
down  the  simple  terms  of  Christian  union  as 
found  in  the  Scriptures,  and  sanctioned  by 
common  sense,  Stone  and  his  co-workers  hailed 
them  at  once  as  brethren  and  fellow  laborers 
in  the  gospel. 


22  SKETCHES   OF   OUB   PIONEERS. 

Review:  Describe  the  great  Caneridge  revival. 
Who  were  Stone's  co-laborers?  What  action  was  taken 
by  the  Synod?  When  were  the  followers  of  Stone 
and  Campbell  united?  What  journal  did  Stone  pub- 
lish and  where  ?  What  name  did  his  followers  accept? 
What  was  his  aim  ? 


CHAPTER  III. 

THOMAS    CAMPBEIX. 

Thomas,  father  of  Alexander  Campbell, 
was  born  in  County  Down,  in  the  north  of 
Ireland,  Feb.  i,  1763.  He  was  very  devout 
from  his  youth.  His  father  belonged  to  the 
Church  of  England  and  was  determined,  as 
he  was  accustomed  to  say,  "to  serve  God 
according  to  Act  of  Parliament,"  but  the  son 
was  led  to  prefer  the  Church  of  the  Secession 
and  early  inclined  to  enter  its  ministry.  He 
entered  the  University  of  Glasgow  and  com- 
pleted the  literary  course  of  three  years,  and 
received  his  theological  training  in  the  Divin- 
ity School  at  Whitburn.  June,  17S7,  he  mar- 
ried Jane  Corneigle. 

After   his    graduation,    Thomas    Campbell 

gave  himself  to  teaching  and  preaching.      In 

pled  the  care  of  a  church  at  Rich 


THOMAS   CAMPBELL.  23 

Hill,  in  County  Armagh,  not  far  from  the 
town  of  Newry,  within  sight  of  Lough  Neagh, 
and  in  one  of  the  most  beautiful  regions  of 
Ireland.  Here  the  youthful  days  of  Alexan- 
der were  spent.  The  home  was  a  model  Chris- 
tian home.  Father  and  mother  were  Bible- 
reading,  praying,  godly  people.  Regular 
Scriptural  instruction  and  worship  wTere  pur- 
sued in  the  household,  and  Thomas  Campbell 
sought  to  introduce  the  same  practice  into 
every  home.  He  was  a  diligent  and  faithful 
pastor.  In  addition  to  his  ordinary  visits,  he 
made  a  regular  tour  of  his  parish  twice  a  year 
in  company  with  one  or  more  of  his  elders, 
inquiring  into  the  state  of  religion  in  every 
home,  catechizing  the  children,  examining  the 
older  members  of  the  family  upon  the  Bible 
readings,  praying  with  them,  and  giving  such 
instructions  and  admonitions  as  seemed  neces- 
sary. 

As  a  preacher  he  had  fine  talents  and  his 
evident  earnestness  and  personal  piety  gave 
great  weight  to  his  teachings.  The  salary  of 
Seceder  ministers  averaged  about  $250  a  year, 
and,  while  the  Campbells  lived  on  a  farm,  they 
found  themselves  unable  to  keep  the  family 
on  their  small  income,  and  when  Alexander 
was   seventeen,  Thomas  Campbell   opened   a 


24  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   FIONEERS. 

school  near  Rich  Hill,  associating  his  son  with 
him  in  its  management.  After  several  years 
Spent  in  teaching,  the  excessive  labor  in  dis- 
charging the  duties  of  both  church  and  school 
begnn  to  tell  seriously  upon  Thomas  Camp- 
bell's health.  Physicians  advised  an  entire 
change  of  life  and  such  relief  as  a  sea  voyage 
might  afford.  At  length  it  was  decided  that 
Alexander  should  take  entire  charge  of  the 
school  and  on  April  i,  1807,  the  father  started 
for  America,  reaching  Philadelphia  after  a  sail 
of  thirty-five  days.  The  Anti-Burgher  Synod 
of  North  America  was  in  session  there,  re- 
ceived him  very  cordially,  and  commended 
him  to  the  Presbytery  of  Chartiers  in  Wash- 
ington County,  Pa.,  where  he  again  took  up 
the  work  of  the  ministry. 

The  spirit  of  sectarianism  was  very  bitter 
in  this  region.  Different  branches  of  the  Pres- 
byterian faith  would  have  no  fellowship  with 
each  other.  Mr.  Campbell  deplored  these 
differences  and  permitted  members  of  other 
Presbyterian  churches  to  partake  of  the  Lord's 
vSupper  with  his  people,  and  was  arraigned  be- 
fore the  Presbytery  for  failing  to  inculcate 
strict  adherence  to  the  church  standards.  His 
pleadings  in  behalf  of  Christian  liberty  and 
fraternity  were  in  vain;  they    censured    him. 


THOMAS   CAMPBELL.  25 

He  appealed  to  the  Synod  and  they  released 
him  from  the  censure.  Such  was  the  feeling 
toward  him,  however,  that  he  finally  with- 
drew from  the  Synod.  He  continued  to  preach 
in  groves  and  private  houses  and  to  plead 
openly  for  Christian  liberality  and  union  upon 
the  Word  of  God,  and  the  people  thronged  to 
hear  him.  He  found  many  pious  and  intelli- 
gent Christians  who,  like  himself,  were  dis- 
satisfied with  existing  religious  parties,  the 
intolerance  and  sectarianism  of  the  times,  and 
inclined  to  accept  the  Bible  as  their  supreme 
guide.  A  special  meeting  was  appointed  at 
the  house  of  Abraham  Altars,  where  Thomas 
Campbell  declared  his  conviction  that  the 
sacred  Word  was  all-sufficient  and  alone 
sufficient  as  a  basis  of  union  and  Christian  co- 
operation; urged  the  entire  abandonment  of 
everything  in  religion  for  which  there  could 
not  be  produced  a  divine  warrant,  and  an- 
nounced the  sentiment  "Wherethe  Scrip- 
tures    SPEAK,     WE     SPEAK  |      AND     WHERE 

the    Scriptures     are    silent,    we    are 

SILENT." 

1 4The  Christian  Association  of  Washington" 
was  formed  Aug.  17,  1809,  and  the  "  Declara- 
tionand  Address"  issued  September  8,1809. 
These  marked  the  beginning  of  the  movement 


26  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

which  to-day  enrolls  a  following  of  millions. 
At  this  time  Alexander  and  the  other  members 
of  Thomas  Campbell's  family  joined  him  in 
the  New  World.  A  church  was  organized  on 
the  basis  of  the  principles  expressed  in  the 
"Declaration  and  Address'*  at  Brush  Run 
which  in  1811  became  a  congregation  of  im- 
mersed believers  and  united  with  the  Redstone 
Baptist  Association. 

Thomas  Campbell  moved  to  Cambridge,  O., 
in  18 1 3  and  opened  a  school.  Two  years  after 
he  went  to  Pittsburg  and  engaged  in  preach- 
ing and  teaching.  In  the  fall  of  1812  here- 
moved  to  Newport,  Kentucky  and  for  a  time 
taught  an  academy  at  Burlington,  returning  in 
18 1 9  to  Washington  County,  Pa.  He  found 
but  little  progress  had  been  made  in  the  work 
of  reform  during  his  absence.  The  struggle 
between  sectarianism  and  the  principles  of  the 
"Declaration  and  Address  n  was  strong  and 
bitter.  His  son  Alexander  was  now  leading 
the  movement.  With  the  publication  of  the 
Christian  Baptist  the  principles  made  great 
strides.  Thomas  Campbell  madefrequenttours, 
preaching  in  Western  Pennsylvania  and  the 
Western  Reserve  of  Ohio,  and,  while  over- 
shadowed in  the  later  development  of  the  cause 
he  pleaded  by  his  more  gifted  son,  his  counsels 


ALEXANDER   CAMPBELL.  27 

were  always  potent  and  his  labors  untiring  and 
successful. 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1854,  tne  l°ng  an(i 
useful  life  of  this  saintly  man  ended  at  Bethany. 
He  continued  until  eighty-three  years  of  age 
his  work  of  itinerating  among  the  churches  and 
his  last  sermon  was  preached  in  his  eighty- 
ninth  year  within  a  few  weeks  of  his  death. 

11 1  never  knew  a  man,  in  all  my  acquaint- 
ance with  men,"  wrote  his  son,  "  of  whom  it 
could  have  been  said  with  more  assurance  that 
he  '  walked  with  God. '  ' ' 


Review  :  When  was  Thomas  Campbell  born 
and  where  ?  What  do  we  know  of  him  as  preacher 
and  pastor?  What  caused  his  removal  to  America? 
Describe  the  beginnings  of  our  movement.  What  is 
said  of  his  later  life  ? 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ALEXANDER    CAMPBELL. 

Xear  Ballymena,  about  one  mile  from 
Shane's  Castle  whose  ancient  towers  are  still 
seen  on  the  northern  shore  of  Lough  Neagh, 
County  Antrim,  Ireland,  Alexander  Campbell 
was  born  Sept.  12,  1788.     His  father,  Thomas 


28  SKETCHES   OF  OUR   PIONEERS. 

Campbell,  was  of  the  Campbells  of  West  Scot- 
land, a  minister  of  the  Secession  branch  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  His  mother,  Jane  Cor- 
neigle,  was  of  the  French  Huguenots.  As  a 
boy  he  was  not  studious.  He  tells  how  on  a 
warm  day  he  stretched  himself  under  the  shade 
of  a  tree  to  study  his  French  lesson  in  Tele- 
machus  when  he  fell  asleep  and  a  cow  grazing 
near  seized  the  volume  and  devoured  it,  and  his 
father,  after  sufficiently  applying  the  birch  to 
his  person,  told  him  u  The  cow  had  got  more 
French  in  her  stomach  than  he  had  in  his 
head." 

His  religious  education  was  not  neglected. 
The  synod  to  which  Thomas  Campbell  be- 
longed prescribed  that  "  The  minister  should 
worship  God  in  his  family  by  singing,  reading 
and  prayer,  morning  and  evening,  catechise 
and  instruct  them  at  least  once  a  week  in  re- 
ligion, should  remember  the  Lord's  day  to 
keep  it  holy,  and  should  himself  maintain  a 
conversation  becoming  the  gospel." 

Religious  regimen  in  the  family  was  ex- 
ceedingly strict  in  that  day.  Reading  prayers 
and  catechising  sometimes  extended  for  hours. 
Of  Thomas  Campbell  it  is  related  that  con- 
ducting family  worship  in  his  father's  house 
on    one    occasion    he    prayed    so    long    that 


ALEXANDER   CAMPBELL.  29 

his  venerable  parent,  rheumatic  and  irascible, 
became  so  distressed  by  his  kneeling  posture 
that  he  no  sooner  got  upon  his  feet  than  in  a 
sudden  gust  of  passion  be  began,  greatly  to 
the  surprise  and  scandal  of  all  present,  to  be- 
labor poor  Thomas  with  his  cane  because  he 
had  kept  him  so  long  on  his  knees. 

Thomas  Campbell  had  great  reverence  for 
the  Bible.  He  instilled  his  views  in  his  son 
Alexander  who,  in  his  seventeenth  year,  wTas 
associated  with  him  in  his  school  and  received 
into  membership  in  the  Presbyterian  Church 
over  which  he  presided.  In  1807  Thomas 
Campbell  sailed  for  America  and  located  in 
Washington  County,  Pa.  In  1808  Alexander 
with  his  mother  and  the  younger  children 
took  ship  to  join  him  in  the  New  World.  Off 
the  coast  of  Scotland  they  were  ship-wrecked, 
but  escaping  with  their  lives,  went  to  Glasgow 
where  Alexander  entered  the  University, 
Here  he  came  in  contact  with  the  Haldanes. 
These  men  were  reformers  who  preached  a 
simple  gospel,  believed  in  the  independence  of 
the  congregations,  the  Scriptures  the  only 
authoritative  creed,  lay  preaching  and  the  tol- 
eration of  infant  baptism,  labored  to  impress 
upon  men  the  supreme  dignity  and  glory  of 
Christ,  and  ultimately  repudiated  the  baptism. 


30  SKETCHES  OF  OUR   PIONEERS. 

of  infants,  and,  with  Alexander  Carson,  ac- 
cepted immersion  only  as  Christian  baptism. 
Alexander  Campbell  was  greatly  impressed 
by  these  teachings  which  seemed  to  him  to  be 
more  in  accord  with  primitive  usage.  In 
August,  1809,  he  sailed  wTith  his  father's 
family  for  America.  When  he  joined  his  father 
he  found  that  providence  had  guided  him  into 
the  same  liberal  and  independent  views  which 
he  had  imbibed  in  Scotland  and  thus  prepared 
the  minds  of  both  father  and  son  for  the  great 
work  in  which  they  were  henceforth  to  co-op- 
erate. Thomas  Campbell's  fraternity  for  other 
Christians,  his  indifference  to  ecclesiastical 
rules,  his  pleadings  in  behalf  of  Christian  lib- 
erty and  brotherhood  and  for  the  Bible  as  the 
only  standard  of  faith  and  life,  had  brought 
upon  him  the  censure  of  his  Seceder  brethren. 
He  withdrew  from  them  and  continued  to 
plead  for  Christian  liberty  and  union.  He  had 
a  large  following.  He  did  not  propose  to  or- 
ganize a  new  church.  He  dwelt  upon  the 
evils  resulting  from  divisions  in  religious  so- 
ciety. He  urged  that  the  sacred  word  was  an 
infallible  standard,  all-sufficient  and  alone  suf- 
ficient as  a  basis  of  Christian  union  and  co- 
operation. He  showed  that  men,  not  content 
with    its    teachings,  had  gone   outside  of  the 


ALEXANDER   CAMPBELL.  31 

Bible  to  frame  for  themselves  religious  theo- 
ries, opinions,  and  speculations  which  were  the 
real  occasion  of  the  unhappy  controversies 
and  strifes  which  had  so  long  desolated  the 
religious  world.  He  insisted,  therefore,  upon 
a  return  to  the  simple  teachings  of  Sacred 
Scripture  and  the  abandonment  of  everything 
in  religion  for  which  there  was  no  divine  war- 
rant. He  set  forth  in  a  large  meeting  of  his  as- 
sociates one  rule  to  govern  his  own  conduct 
and  that  of  all  who  would  accept  his  principles. 
"  Where  the  Scriptures  speak,  we  speak; 
where  the  Scriptures  are  silent,  we  are  silent.' ' 
The  formal  and  actual  commencement  of 
the  reformation  plead  by  the  Campbells  began 
with  the  declaration  of  this  sentiment.  When 
it  was  spoken  one  arose  and  said:  "  Mr.  Camp- 
bell, if  we  adopt  that  as  a  basis,  then  there 
is  an  end  of  infant  baptism.'  '  "Of  course," 
was  the  answer,  "  if  infant  baptism  be  not 
found  in  Scripture  we  can  have  nothing  to  do 
with  it."  One  exclaimed  excitedly:  "  I  hope 
I  may  never  see  the  day  when  my  heart  will 
renounce  that  blessed  saying  of  the  Scripture, 
*  Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  me  and 
forbid  them  not.'"  Another  said:  "In  the 
portion  of  Scripture  you  have  quoted  there  is 
no  reference  whatever  to  infant  baptism." 


32  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

These  brethren  formed  themselves  into  a 
religious  association  known  as  the  H  Christian 
Association  of  Washington,' '  and  September  7, 
1809,  the  famous  n  Declaration  and  Address0 
was  published.  In  this  Thomas  Campbell  and 
those  associated  with  him  disclaimed  any  in- 
tention of  forming  themselves  into  a  church, 
but  associated  themselves  together  for  the  pro- 
motion of  Christian  union  and  of  a  "  pure 
evangelical  reformation  by  the  simple  preach- 
ing of  the  gospel  and  the  administration  of  the 
ordinances  in  exact  conformity  to  the  divine 
standard."  They  declared  themselves  organ- 
ized for  "the  sole  purpose  of  promoting 
simple  evangelical  Christianity  as  exhibited 
on  the  sacred  page,  without  attempting  to  in- 
culcate anything  of  human  authority,  of 
private  opinion,  or  invention  of  men  as  having 
any  place  in  the  constitution,  faith,  or  worship 
of  the  Christian  church,  or  anything  as  a  mat- 
ter of  Christian  faith  or  duty  for  which  there 
cannot  be  expressly  produced  a  *  Thus  saith 
the  Lord,'  either  in  express  terms  or  by  ap- 
proved precedent. " 

RlCVlJCW :  When  and  where  was  A.  Campbell 
born?  Who  were  his  parents  ?  What  was  the  char- 
acter of  his  early  religious  education?  What  led  to 
his  entrance  of  Glasgow  University  ?     Who  were  the 


ALEXANDER   CAMPBELL.  33 


Haldanes?  What  had  been  his  father's  course  in 
America?  What  was  the  formal  beginning  of  the 
movement  ?     Describe  the  Declaration  and  Address  ? 


CHAPTER  V. 

ALEXANDER   CAMPBELL. 
( Continued. ) 

Religious  party  spirit  ran  high  in  those 
times.  Any  departure  from  the  tradition  of 
the  elders  was  met  with  at  once  with  severest 
ecclesiastical  censure.  The  spirit  of  sectarian- 
ism was  rigid  and  uncompromising  beyond 
anything  known  to  the  present  generation.  Old 
members  were  known  to  break  off  from  their 
congregations  simply  because  the  clerk  pre- 
sumed to  give  out  before  singing  two  lines  of  a 
Psalm  instead  of  one  as  had  been  the  custom. 
Against  this  slavish  subjection  to  opinions,  and 
regulations  of  human  origin,  Thomas  Camp- 
bell protested  and  declared  the  remedy  was  to 
be  found  in  a  simple  return  to  the  plain  teach- 
ings of  the  Bible  as  alone  authoritative  and 
binding  upon  the  conscience. 

Such  was  the  state  of  religious  affairs  in 
the  community  where  the  Campbells  settled 
svhen  Alexander  joined  his  father.     These  men 


34  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEKi 

little  knew  what  the  principles  of  the  Declara- 
tion and  Address  involved.  A  Presbyterian 
minister  referring  to  the  proposition  that  ''noth- 
ing should  be  required  as  a  matter  of  faith  or 
duty  for  which  there  can  not  be  expressly  pro- 
duced a  'Thus  saith  the  Lord,'"  said  to  A. 
Campbell,  u  Sir,  these  words  are  not  sound. 
If  you  follow  them  out  you  must  be  a  Baptist." 
"  Why,"  said  Mr.  Campbell,  "  is  there  in  Scrip- 
ture no  express  precept  or  precedent  for  infant 
baptism ?M  "Not  one,  sir,"  was  the  reply. 
Stating  the  difficulty  to  his  father  he  merely 
answered,  "We  make  our  appeal  to  the  law 
and  to  the  testimony.  Whatever  is  not  found 
therein  we  must  of  course  abandon.'1  Why 
should  we  deem  it  a  thing  incredible,  they 
reasoned,  that  the  Church  of  Christ  in  this 
highly  favored  country  should  resume  that 
original  unity,  peace,  and  purity  which  belong 
to  its  constitution  and  constitute  its  glory  ?  Is 
anything  necessary  for  this  desirable  purpose 
but  to  conform  to  the  model  and  adopt  the 
practice  of  the  primitive  church  expressly  ex- 
hibited in  the  New  Testament?  Were  we  in 
our  church  constitution  and  management  to 
exhibit  a  complete  conformity  to  the  apostolic 
church  would  we  not  be  in  that  respect  as  per- 
fect as  Christ  intended  us  to  be  ?     Who  would 


ALEXANDER   CAMPBELL.  35 

not  willingly  give  up  his  human  inventions 
in  worship  and  cease  imposing  his  private 
opinions  on  his  brethren  and  conform  to  the 
original  pattern  laid  down  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment that  our  divisions  might  be  healed?  The 
whole  object  was  to  M  come  firmly  and  fairly  to 
original  ground  and  take  up  things  just  as  the 
apostles  left  them,"  and  thus  "  becoming  dis- 
entangled from  the  accruing  embarrassment  of 
intervening  ages' '  to  stand  upo?i  the  same 
ground  on  which  the  Church  did  at  the  beginni?ig. 
11  Never  before,"  says  Dr.  R.  Richardson, 
1 ' had  any  reformer  taken  distinctly  such  ground 
as  this.  Never  before  had  anyone  presumed 
to  pass  over  so  lightly  the  authorities  and 
usages  and  decisions  of  so  many  intervening 
centuries.  Here,  indeed,  was  the  startling 
proposition  to  begin  anew — to  begin  at  the  be- 
gin?iing;  to  ascend  at  once  to  the  pure  fountain 
of  truth,  and  to  neglect  and  disregard,  as  though 
they  had  never  been,  the  decrees  of  Popes, 
councils,  synods,  and  assemblies,  and  all  the 
traditions  and  corruptions  of  an  apostate 
church.  Here  was  an  effort  not  so  much  for 
the  reformation  of  the  Church,  as  wras  that  of 
Luther  and  Calvin,  but  for  its  complete  re- 
storation at  once  to  its  pristine  purity  and  per- 
fection.    By  coming  at  once  to  the  primitive 


36  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

model  and  rejecting  all  human  imitations;  by 
submitting  implicitly  to  the  Divine  authority 
as  plainly  expressed  in  the  Scriptures,  and  by 
disregarding  all  the  assumptions  and  dictations 
of  fallible  men  it  was  proposed  to  form  a  union 
upon  a  basis  to  which  no  valid  objection 
could  be  offered.  By  this  summary  method, 
the  Church  was  to  be  at  once  released  from 
the  controversies  of  eighteen  centuries,  and 
from  the  conflicting  claims  of  all  pretenders  to 
apostolic  thrones,  and  the  primitive  gospel  of 
salvation  wras  to  be  disentangled  and  disem- 
barrassed from  all  those  corruptions  and  per- 
versions wThich  had  heretofore  delayed  or  ar- 
rested its  progress." 

Magnificent  conception  !  Yes,  these  were 
magnificent  men,  men  full  of  faith  and  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  men  lifting  up  in  the  morning  of 
the  nineteenth  century  the  voice  of  Protestant- 
ism which  had  cried  out  in  the  first,  "We 
ought  to  obey  God  rather  than  men!"  In  a 
remarkable  document  covering  fifty -four  closely 
printed  pages  they  set  forth  their  principles 
and  purposes.  Its  spirit  throughout  is  affec- 
tionate and  Christian  though  given  to  the  world 
in  an  age  of  bitter  religious   controversy.     Al- 

ttdcr  Campbell  informed  his  father  that  he 
meant  to  give  his  life  to  the  advocacy  of  t: 


ALEXANDER   CAMPBELL.  37 

views.  In  devoting  himself  to  the  ministry 
he  declared  his  firm  resolution  never  to  receive 
compensation  for  his  services.  "  Upon  these 
principles,  my  dear  son,"  said  the  father,  "  I 
fear  you  will  have  to  wear  many  a  ragged 
coat."  The  greatness  and  lofty  impulses  of 
this  man  were  never  more  strikingly  mani- 
fested than  when  rejecting  all  solicitations  he 
received  to  become  the  advocate  of  a  party, 
opportunities  of  distinction  which  such  a  course 
afforded,  he  determined  amidst  the  contumely 
and  opposition  ot  both  the  secular  and  reli- 
gious world  to  devote  himself  to  the  advocacy 
of  this  new  movement. 

He  now  gave  himself  to  unremitting  prep- 
aration for  his  w7ork.  July  15,  18 10,  he 
preached  his  first  sermon.  Afterwards  he 
spoke  constantly  in  churches,  at  the  cross-roads, 
in  private  houses,  wTh'erever  opportunity  offered. 
The  Campbells  were  still  connected  with  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  but  the  Christian  Asso- 
ciation was  exciting  hostility  on  all  s?des.  In 
May,  1  Si  1,  Brush  Run  Church  wras  organized 
with  29  members.  It  was  called  "The  First 
Church  of  the  Christian  Association  of  Wash- 
ington County,  Pa."  Here  A.  Campbell  was 
ordained  to  the  ministry  Jan.  1,  1812. 

It  was  after  this  that  he  became  greatly 


38  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

disturbed  on  the  question  of  baptism.  Apply- 
ing himself  to  the  study  of  the  Scriptures  and 
searching  critically  the  signification  of  the 
words  rendered  u  baptism"  and  "  baptize,"  he 
soon  became  satisfied  they  could  only  mean 
11  immersion  M  and  "  immerse,' '  and  from  his 
further  investigations  he  was  led  finally  to  the 
clear  conviction  that  believers  and  believers 
only  were  proper  subjects  of  this  ordinance. 
Sprinkling,  he  concluded,  was  wholly  unau- 
thorized and  that  he  was  therefore  an  unbap- 
tized  person.  Thomas  Campbell  had  come  to 
the  same  conclusion.  Like  A.  Judson  and 
Alexander  Carson  they  determined  to  give  up 
their  cherished  position  and  yield  to  Christ  by 
a  solemn  burial  in  baptism.  They  repaired  to 
Buffalo  Creek,  father  and  son  addressed  the 
assembled  people,  and  on  a  simple  confession 
of  faith,  with  five  others,  were  baptized  by 
Mathias  Luse,  June  14,  181 2. 


RjtVJJCW  :  What  is  said  of  the  sectarian  spirit  of 
the  time  ?  What  did  the  "  Declaration  and  Address  n 
involve  ?  How  did  the  Campbells  reason  ?  Had  any 
other  reformers  ever  taken  this  ground?  What  is 
meant  by  Restoration  ?  What  was  A.  Campbell's  high 
retohre?  When  and  where  was  the  first  church  or- 
ganized ?  When  and  where  were  the  Campbells  im- 
mersed ? 


ALEXANDER   CAMPBELL.  39 

CHAPTER  VI. 

ALEXANDER  CAMPBELL. 
(Continued.) 
The  meeting  for  baptism  when  the  Camp- 
bells were  immersed  lasted  seven  hours. 
Joseph  Bryant,  one  of  the  members  of  the 
Brush  Run  Church,  had  to  leave  to  attend  a 
muster  of  volunteers  for  the  war  against  Great 
Britain,  attended  the  muster,  and  returned  to 
hear  an  hour's  preaching  and  witness  the 
baptisms.  This  was  characteristic  of  the 
meetings  of  that  day.  Men  would  walk  many 
miles  to  hear  Alexander  Campbell  and  stand 
for  hours  listening  to  him,  and  the  time  seemed 
as  so  many  minutes,  so  fresh  and  wonderful 
were  the  things  he  had  to  tell  to  the  people. 

From  the  moment  Thomas  Campbell  con- 
cluded to  follow  the  example  of  his  son  in  the 
action  of  baptism,  he  conceded  to  him  in  effect 
the  guidance  of  the  whole  movement.  From 
that  hour  the  position  of  father  and  son  became 
reversed.  Alexander  became  the  master  spirit. 
This  baptism  was  a  decisive  step.  The  neces- 
sity felt  for  unity  had  brought  them  to  the 
Bible  alone.  This  led  to  the  simple  primitive 
faith  in  Christ;  this  in  turn  to  the  primitive 
baptism  in  public  proof  of  that  faith. 


40  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

The  Brush  Run  Church  was  now  a  church 
of  immersed  believers,  but  in  regard  to  the 
great  principles  of  religious  liberty  and  pro- 
gress, as  well  as  the  necessity  of  returning  to 
the  faith  and  practicesof  the  primitive  churches, 
they  were  far  beyond  the  Baptist  communities 
around  them.  They  had  the  primitive  con- 
fession of  faith  instead  of  a  religious  experi- 
ence, broke  bread  weekly,  and  did  not  observe 
restricted  communion.  Immersion  seemed  the 
only  important  difference  between  the  Baptists 
and  other  sects.  After  much  solicitation, 
however,  Brush  Run  Church,  with  a  full  state- 
ment of  their  views,  united  with  the  Redstone 
Baptist  Association.  At  a  meeting  of  the  As- 
sociation, August,  1816,  A.  Campbell  preached 
his  celebrated  sermon  on  il  The  Law/1  which 
led  to  his  separation  from  the  Baptists. 

This  was  simply  a  discussion  of  the  rela- 
tions between  the  law  and  the  gospel,  showing 
that  we  are  not  under  Moses,  but  under  Christ, 
but,  so  much  was  it  opposed  to  the  theology 
and  style  of  preaching  current  among  the 
Baptists  of  that  day,  it  caused  a  sensation. 

In  the  spring  of  1820  Mr.  Campbell  was 
challenged  by  Rev.  Mr.  Walker,  a  Presbyte- 
rian, to  a  public  discussion.  The  reformers 
had  been  opposed   to   public   debates  as   not 


ALEXANDER   CAMPBELL.  41 

favorable  to  Christian  union.  The  Declaration 
and  Address  declared  "  controversy  formed 
no  part  of  the  intended  plan."  Mr.  Campbell 
at  first  declined  to  accept  the  challenge.  He 
was  not  disputatious,  but  by  repeated  urging 
this  was  forced  upon  him.  The  chief  point 
debated  was  the  identity  of  the  covenants  upon 
which  the  Jewish  and  Christian  institutions 
rested.  His  later  discussions,  w7ith  N.  L. 
Rice  on  baptism,  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  human 
creeds  as  bonds  of  union,  a  debate  which  lasted 
sixteen  days  and  over  which  Henry  Clay  pre- 
sided; wTith  Archbishop  Purcell  on  the  claims 
of  Roman  Catholicism,  and  with  Robert  Owen 
on  the  evidences  of  Christianity,  are  master- 
pieces of  discussion  which  created  a  profound 
impression  in  their  time  and  did  much  to  ex- 
tend the  principles  he  advocated. 

In  1823  Mr.  Campbell  began  the  publica- 
tion of  The  Christian  Baptist.  In  the  first 
seven  years  from  his  little  country  printing 
office  he  issued  no  less  than  46,000  volumes  of 
his  works.  His  writings  were  read  far  and 
wide.  His  views  began  to  influence  large 
numbers  of  people.  He  was  assailed  as  a  dis- 
organize^ but  it  was  not  his  aim  merely  to 
overthrow  the  existing  order  of  religious  so- 
ciety.    He  was  well  aware  of  the  vast  benefit 


42  SKETCHES  OF  OUR   PIONEERS. 

resulting  to  mankind  from  Christianity  even 
in  its  most  corrupt  forms.  He  desired  simply 
to  dethrone  the  false  that  he  might  re-estab- 
lish the  true,  to  replace  the  traditions  of  men 
by  the  teachings  of  Christ  and  the  apostles;  to 
substitute  the  New  Testament  for  creeds  and 
human  formularies.  His  work  was  positive, 
not  negative. 

In  August,  1823,  the  second  church  was 
organized  in  Wellsburg,  W.  Va.,  with  thirty- 
two  members. 

In  October,  1823,  A.  Campbell  visited 
Washington,  Ky.,  and  held  a  debate  with  W. 
L-  McCalla,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  on  the 
subject,  action,  and  design  of  baptism.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1824,  the  Wellsburg  Church  was  re- 
ceived into  the  Mahoning  Baptist  Association 
and  Mr,  Campbell  was  a  messenger  from  the 
church  to  that  body,  which  met  in  Trumbull 
County,  Ohio.  The  same  year  he  made  an 
extensive  tour  of  three  months  in  Kentucky. 
In  1825  he  published  in  the  Christian  Baptist 
a  series  of  articles  entitled  "  A  Restoration  of 
the  Ancient  Order  of  Things,"  in  which  he 
argued  the  abandonment  of  everything  not  in 
use  among  the  early  Christians  as  creeds  and 
confessions,  unscriptural  words  and  phrases, 
theological  speculations,  etc,  and  the   adop- 


ALEXANDER   CAMPBELL.  43 

tion  of  everything  sanctioned  by  the  primitive 
practice  as  the  weekly  breaking  of  the  loaf, 
the  fellowship,  the  simple  order  of  worship, 
and  the  independence  of  each  church  under 
the  care  of  elders  and  deacons.  This  order 
was  then  observed  in  but  three  churches,  Brush 
Run,  Wellsburg,  and  Pittsburg. 

In  1826  Mr.  Campbell  published  <(  The  Sa- 
cred Writings  of  the  Apostles  and  Evangelists 
of  Jesus  Christ,  Commonly  styled  the  New 
Testament,' '  with  notes.  He  was  thus  the 
first  to  furnish  the  English  reader  a  version  of 
the  New  Testament  completely  rendered  into 
his  own  vernacular,"  as  he  anglicized  the 
Greek  terms  for  such  words  as  "  baptism" 
and  M  baptize."  The  principles  taught  by  the 
Campbells  were  now  wide  spread,  especially 
among  the  Baptists,  and  in  1827  the  Baptist 
Associations  began  to  declare  non-fellowship 
with  the  brethren  of  "  The  Reformation. " 
From  this  time  we  may  'date  the  rise  of  the 
people  known  as  M  Disciples  of  Christ." 

In  1829  Mr.  Campbell  began  to  publish 
the  Millennial  Harbinger,  a  magazine  which  he 
continued  to  issue  monthly  until  his  death. 
In  October  of  the  same  year  he  sat  in  the 
Virginia  State  Constitutional  Convention  with 
with  such  men  as  James  Madison,  James  Mon- 


44  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

roe,  John  Marshall,  John  Randolph  of  Roan- 
oke, Benjamin  Watkins  Leigh  and  others. 
Kx  president  Madison  said  of  him  afterwards, 
"  I  regard  him  as  the  ablest  and  most  original 
expounder  of  Scripture  I  ever  heard.' ' 

All  this  time  the  plea  for  the  restoration  of 
the  primitive  gospel  and  original  unity  of  the 
church  went  forward.  Reformers  were  in- 
creasing in  great  numbers.  Baptist  Associa- 
tions were  condemning  the  errors  of  Campbell, 
yet  whole  churches,  and  associations  even,  were 
taking  his  position.  Indeed  Mr.  Campbell 
never  intended  to  withdraw  from  the  Baptist 
Church.  He  hoped  to  carry  forward  his  work 
among  his  Baptist  brethren.  "  There  never 
was  any  sufficient  reason,"  he  said,  H  for  a  sep- 
aration between  us  and  the  Baptists.  We 
ought  to  have  remained  one  people  and  labored 
together  to  restore  the  primitive  faith  and 
practice."  The  Baptists  withdrew  from  him 
and  to  day  hundreds  of  their  churches  and 
tens  of  thousands  of  their  people  hold  the 
principles  A.  Campbell  taught  and  would 
receive  him  in  fullest  fellowship.  He  was 
simply  in  advance  of  his  times, 

In  [839  the  great  debate  with  Bishop  Pur- 
cdl  was  held.  In  1840  Bethany  College  was 
founded.      In  1843  he  held  his  discussion  with 


ALEXANDER  CAMPBELL.  45 

X.  L.  Rice.  In  1847  he  traveled  in  Great 
Britain.  This  was  the  busiest  period  of  this 
great  man's  life,  traveling  thousands  of  miles, 
speaking  constantly,  editing,  presiding  over 
the  college,  holding  public  discussions.  His 
published  works  number  60  volumes. 

In  June,  1850,  he  spoke  before  both 
houses  of  Congress  at  the  Capitol  in  Washing- 
ton. His  last  sermon  was  on  the  u  Spiritual 
Blessings  in  Heavenly  Places  in  Christ.' '  As 
he  neared  his  end  he  would  look  around  at 
those  by  his  bedside  and  ask,  "  What  think  ye 
of  Christ  ?"  and  would  quote  such  passages 
as:  "  His  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful, 
Counsellor,  the  Mighty  God,  the  Everlasting 
Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace.' '  Lord's  Day, 
March  4,  1866,  he  passed  away. 

Impossible  is  it  in  so  short  a  sketch  to  de- 
scribe the  life  and  wrork  of  such  a  man.  His 
influence  in  history  is  immeasurable.  Think 
of  the  little  Brush  Run  Church,  just  70  years 
ago  with  its  27  members,  and  now  10,000 
churches  and  1,100,000  communicants!  And 
this  is  not  the  measure.  "Surely,"  said 
George  D.  Prentice,  "the  life  of  a  man  thus 
excellent  and  gifted  is  a  part  of  the  common 
treasure  of  society.  In  his  essential  character 
be  belongs  to  no  party,   but  to  the  world." 


46  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

M  If  I  were  asked  to  select  a  representative  of 
the  human  race  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  other 
spheres  in  our  universe,"  said  General  Robert 
E.  Lee,  "of  all  men  I  have  ever  known  I 
should  select  Alexander  Campbell;  then  I 
know  they  would  have  a  high  impression  of 
what  our  humanity  is  like."  "There  is  not 
a  religious  body  in  the  United  States,"  said  the 
N.  Y.  Independent,  "whether  it  would  confess 
it  or  not,  that  has  not  been  modified  both  in 
spirit  and  teaching  by  the  influence  of  Alex- 
ander Campbell." 

Review  :  When  did  A.  Campbell  take  the  lead 
in  the  work  of  Reform  ?  Describe  the  Brush  Run 
Church.  What  do  you  know  of  Mr.  Campbell's  de- 
bates? What  journals  were  published  by  him? 
What  were  his  greatest  works  ?  Give  Madison's  esti- 
mate of  him;  Prentice's;  Lee's.     Describe  his  end. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

WALTER  SCOTT. 

u  Among  the  helpers  and  fellow  laborers," 
of  Alexander  Campbell,  "the  first  place  in 
zeal  and  ability  mtt8t  be  awarded  to  Walter 
Scott,"  says  his  biographer.  "  Making  the 
apostles  his  model,  he  went  before  the  world 


WALTER   SCOTT.  47 

with  the  same  message,  in  the  same  order, 
with  the  same  conditions  and  promises,  and 
inviting  instant  compliance  with  its  claims." 
In  the  little  health  resort  known  as  Moffatt, 
in  Dumfrieshire,  Scotland,  sixty-three  miles 
from  Edinburg,  Walter  Scott  was  born,  Oct. 
31,  1796.  He  was  of  the  same  ancestry  as  the 
great  Sir  Walter.  His  parents  were  John  Scott 
and  Mary  Jones,  strict  Presbyterians.  He  was 
educated  at  the  university  of  Edinburg,  came 
to  America  in  1818,  and  settled  in  Pittsburg  as 
a  teacher  in  the  following  year.  He  was  as- 
sociated with  George  Forrester,  a  Scotchman, 
who  was  noted  for  his  piety  and  love  for  the 
Bible.  Unlike  his  brethren  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  however,  he  made  the  Bible  his  only 
authority  and  guide  in  religion.  Under  his 
influence  Scott  was  not  long  in  making  the 
discovery  that  infant  baptism  was  without 
divine  warrant ;  that  the  baptism  enjoined  by 
Christ  was  a  personal  and  not  a  relative  duty ; 
that  it  was  a  matter  which  could  no  more  ad- 
mit of  a  proxy  than  faith,  repentance,  or  any 
other  act  of  obedience;  and  that  as  he  had 
exercised  no  volition  and  obeyed  no  command 
when  made  a  subject  of  the  ordinance  as  taught 
an  1  practiced  by  the  Presbyterian  Church,  he 
had  not  yielded  to  his  Master's  authority  in 


4S  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

being  baptized.  He  was  therefore  immersed 
by  Mr.  Forrester  and  united  with  a  small  body 
of  baptized  believers. 

He  succeeded  Mr.  Forrester  as  principal  of 
the  school  not  long  after,  but  his  study  of  the 
Bible  in  the  meantime  had  led  him  to  feel  that 
there  was  a  broader  field  of  service  awaiting 
him  in  leading  thousands  as  sincere  and  earnest 
as  himself  out  of  the  bondage  from  which  he 
had  been  freed.  At  this  time  a  pamphlet  on 
baptism  issued  by  a  small  congregation  in  New 
York  fell  into  his  hands.  It  so  impressed  him 
that  he  closed  his  school  and  went  there.  He 
was  disappointed,  and  after  three  months  left 
New  York  and  visited  Baltimore  and  Wash- 
ington City,  neither  of  which  did  he  find  a 
congenial  field.  He  continued  his  travels  on 
foot  to  Pittsburg  and  returned  to  the  little  flock 
who  received  him  joyfully.  These  brethren  in 
their  desire  to  conform  to  Scripture  usage 
pressed  too  far  some  matters  which  had  their 
origin  in  the  social  life  of  apostolic  times.  They 
read  the  injunction,  u  Salute  one  another  with 
a  holy  kiss,"  and  carried  it  into  practice,  be- 
coming known  in  the  community  as  <4  Kissing 

Baptists."    The  washing  of  feet  they  also  pi 
ticed,  not  as  a  church  ordinance  but  as  an  act 
of  brotherly  kindness  and  hospitality. 


WALTER  SCOTT.  49 

In  1S21  Mr.  Scott's  mind  became  possessed 
of  the  great  thought  of  his  life,  that  the  cen- 
tral idea  of  the  Christian  religion  is  the  Mes- 
siahship  of  Jesus;  that  the  truth  that  Jesus  is 
the  Christ  the  Son  of  God  is  the  one  funda- 
mental fact  of  the  Scriptures,  the  creed  of 
Christianity;  that  this  "  Golden  Oracle  M  em- 
bodied the  one  true  confession  for  every  soul. 

January  3,  1823,  Walter  Scott  married  Miss 
Sarah  Whitsett.  "  He  was  at  this  time,"  says 
one,  u  about  twenty-six  years  of  age,  about 
medium  height,  slender  and  rather  spare  in 
person  and  possessed  of  little  muscular 
strength.  His  aspect  was  abstracted,  medi- 
tative, and  sometimes  had  even  an  air  of  sad- 
ness. His  nose  was  straight,  his  lips  rather 
full,  but  delicately  chiseled;  his  eyes  dark  and 
lustrous,  full  of  intelligence  and  tenderness; 
and  his  hair,  clustering  above  his  fine,  ample 
forehead,  was  black  as  the  raven's  wing." 

It  was  in  this  same  year  A.  Campbell  pro- 
jected his  first  publication.  He  consulted  Mr. 
Scott,  whom  he  had  met  two  years  before,  in 
regard  to  it.  He  intended  to  name  it  "  The 
Christian"  Scott  suggested  that  it  might  dis- 
arm prejudice  and  secure  a  wider  circulation, 
especially  among  Baptists,  to  call  it  "  The 
Christian  Baptist."     The  suggestion  was  ap- 


50  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

proved,  and  the  periodical  which  produced 
the  greatest  impression  on  the  religious 
thought  of  the  century  was  issued  August, 
1823,  under  this  title.  Scott  was  a  frequent 
contributor  over  the  name  <l  Philip." 

In  1886  Mr.  Scott  removed  from  Pittsburg 
to  Steubenville,  O.  In  the  summer  of  this 
year  he  appeared  in  the  Mahoning  Baptist  As- 
sociation as  a  visiting  brother.  The  following 
year  it  met  at  New  Lisbon.  Alexander 
Campbell  was  one  of  the  messengers,  and, 
going  from  Wellsburg  by  wray  of  Steubenville, 
he  prevailed  upon  Scott  to  accompany  him, 
and  here  Scott  was  chosen  "as  a  suitable  person 
to  labor  among  the  churches."  This  was  a 
surprise,  but  he  proved  the  man  of  all  others 
for  the  place  and  work,  a  work  which  resulted 
in  the  dissolution  of  the  Association  and  the 
casting  off  of  creeds,  and  a  return  to  the  gospel 
in  its  primitive  beauty  and  simplicity  and 
power. 

Religious  conditions  among  the  Baptists  of 
this  region  wcie  at  this  time  most  discourag- 
ing. The  churches  held  to  the  Philadelphia 
Confession  of  F.iith.  Belief  in  eternal  and 
personal  election  to  holiness,  total  depravity, 
particular  redemption,  and  the  irresistible 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  conversion  pre- 


WALTER   SCOTT.  51 

vailed.  Reading  of  church  constitutions,  cov- 
enant, and  articles  of  faith  usurped  the  place 
of  Scripture  reading,  prayer  and  praise.  Ultra 
Calvinism  was  preached  instead  of  the  gospel, 
and  religion  languished.  Fifteen  churches  in 
1S27  reported  but  34  baptisms  and  of  these  n 
were  at  Wellsburg  where  A.  Campbell  minis- 
tered. In  1825,  17  churches  reported  16  bap- 
tisms. Great  stress  was  placed  upon  "the 
religious  experiences"  of  the  convert,  his  feel- 
ings and  mental  exercises,  little  accounts 
taken  of  change  of  conduct  or  personal  obedi- 
ence to  commands  of  gospel.  Dreams  and 
visions  were  tests  of  conversion.  How  much 
of  this  may  be  attributed  to  the  reading  of 
John  Bunyan  instead  of  John,  the  Evangelist, 
we  can  not  tell.  One  of  the  ministers  called 
on  to  pray  for  the  mourners  at  a  revival  ex- 
claimed "O  Lord!  here  are  sinners  desiring  to 
be  converted;  Lord  they  cannot  convert  them- 
selves; O  Lord  we  can  not  convert  them.  No 
one,  Lord,  can  convert  them  but  thyself.  And 
now,  Lord,  why  don't  you  do  it  ?"  The  preach- 
ers taught  man's  inability  to  do  anything  to 
save  himself  and  the  people  practiced  the 
doctrine. 

Review:     How   does  Walter  Scott  rank  among 
the  reformers?     What  do  we  know  of  his  early  his- 


52  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

tory?  What  were  the  usages  of  the  Pittsburg  breth- 
ren? What  was  the  great  thought  of  Scott's  life. 
Describe  his  connection  with  the  Mahoning  Associa- 
tion. What  is  said  of  the  religious  conditions  of  the 
time? 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

WALTER  SCOTT. 
{Continued.) 
In  1824  the  church  at  Hiram ,  Portage  Coun- 
ty, Ohio.,  at  its  monthly  meeting  determined  to 
renounce  its  covenant,  articles  of  faith,  con- 
stitution, and  the  Philadelphia  Confession,  and 
to  take  the  Word  of  God  as  the  only  rule  of 
faith  and  practice.  In  the  church  at  New 
Lisbon,  at  one  of  their  monthly  meetings,  the 
articles  of  faith  were  read.  One  of  the  breth- 
ren asked  that  the  third  article  be  read  again  ; 
44  We  believe  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  to  be 
the  word  of  God,  and  the  only  infallible  rule 
of  faith  and  practice  in  religious  things.' p 
44  Brethren,"  he  said,  4<  do  we  believe  that 
article?"  u  Certainly,  most  certainly,"  was 
the  answer  from  several.  "  What  then,"  he 
demanded,  "  is  the  use  of  the  rest  if  the  article 
just  read  be  true,  and  the  Word  of  God  is  the 


WALTER   SCOTT.  53 

only  infallible  rule  of  faith  and  practice  ? ' '  The 
articles  were  dropped.  This  was  the  condition 
among  the  churches  of  the  Mahoning  Associ- 
ation when  Scott  began  his  wrork  as  evangel- 
ist. The  scene  of  his  first  practical  and  suc- 
cessful exhibition  of  the  Gospel  as  preached 
in  primitive  times  was  at  New  Lisbon  in  No- 
vember, 1S27.  He  showed  that  the  creed  of 
Christianity  was  expressed  in  Peter's  confes- 
sion, Matt,  xvi:  16;  that  belief  of  this  great 
truth  would  produce  such  love  in  the  human 
heart  as  would  lead  to  true  obedience;  that  the 
the  great  truth  of  the  gospel  was  first  preached 
on  Pentecost  in  Jerusalem,  as  Christ  had  said 
repentance  and  remission  of  sins  should  be 
preached  in  his  name  among  all  nations  "be- 
ginning at  Jerusalem;"  that  Peter  preached 
Christ,  and  when  the  heart-pierced  multitudes 
cried  under  conviction,  "Men  and  brethren, 
what  shall  wedo?"  he  gave  the  reply,  "  Re- 
pent and  be  baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins, 
and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit;"  that  the  conditions  of  pardon  were  un- 
changed, and  as  many  as  gladly  receive  the 
word  should  be  baptized  and  might  be  at  once 
added  to  the  church,  rejoicing  in  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins  and  the  gift  of  God's  Spirit. 


5-i  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

Many  accepted  this  doctrine.  Others  op- 
posed and  threatened.  The  whole  community 
began  to  search  the  Scriptures  like  the  Bereans 
of  old.  The  church  at  New  Lisbon  almost  to 
a  man  resolved  that  henceforth  the  Word  of 
God  should  be  their  only  rule  and  guide. 

Scott  restored  the  ordinance  of  Christian 
baptism  to  its  proper  place  as  one  of  the  con- 
ditions of  pardon.  Assurance  of  forgiveness 
had  been  made  to  depend  upon  the  simple  ex- 
ercise of  faith.  Dreams  and  visions,  unusual 
sensations  and  emotions  were  regarded  as 
tokens  of  divine  favor  and  proofs  of  acceptance 
with  God.  No  fixed  and  definite  way  of  com- 
ing to  God  and  receiving  assurance  of  his 
favor  seemed  to  be  known.  Penitents,  earn- 
est and  sincere,  for  long  periods  sought  par- 
don, but  their  prayers  and  tears  seemed  of  no 
avail.  John  Wesley,  for  example,  under  this 
teaching,  was  thirteen  years  seeking  God's 
favor,  learning  after  a  long  experience  of 
mental  Buffering  "  that  a  sense  of  forgiveness 
was  his  privilege." 

Every  case  of  conversion  after  the  gospel 
was  first  proclaimed  on  Pentecost  shows  that 
obedience  was  always  followed  by  the  joy  I  t 
pardon.  Seott  insisted  that  all  who  felt  as  the 
multitude  who  on  Pentecost  cried  out,  "  Men 


WALTER   SCOTT.  55 

and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do?"  by  obedi- 
ence to  the  instructions  there  given,  "  Repent 
and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and 
ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit," 
might,  like  them,  "  gladly  receive  the  Word," 
and  feel  the  assurance  that  the  promise  was 
fulfilled  to  the  joy  of  their  hearts. 

From  New  Lisbon  Scott  went  to  Warren, 
and  here  many  were  baptized  and  the  whole 
Baptist  church  accepted  the  new  order  of 
things  with  Adamson  Bentley,  their  pastor, 
who  afterward  became  a  tower  of  strength  in 
the  restoration  movement. 

As  illustrating  the  intense  interest  in  the 
new  views  of  divine  truth  thus  presented,  we 
have  the  example  of  John  Tait,  a  man  of 
strong  will  and  a  zealous  member  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church.  His  wife,  under  Scott's 
preaching,  resolved  to  confess  Christ  and  be 
baptized.  He  bitterly  opposed  her  and  threat- 
ened violence  to  the  preacher  if  lie  baptized 
her.  She  was  baptized,  however,  and  soon 
Tait  himself  became  obedient  to  this  New 
Testament  institution.  Not  long  after  he  met 
his  former  pastor  and  urged  him  to  be  baptized 
for  the  remission  of  sins.  "  What !"  said  the 
minister,    ,k  would  you  have  me  to  be  baptized 


56  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

contrary  to  my  conscience?"  "Yes,"  said 
Tait.  "  Were  you,  Mr.  Tait,  baptized  contrary 
to  your  conscience?"  "  Yes,"  was  the  reply, 
11 1  was.  My  conscience  told  me  that  sprink- 
ling in  infancy  would  do,  but  the  Word  of  God 
said,  '  Be  baptized  for  the  remission  of  sins,' 
and  I  thought  it  better  to  tear  my  conscience 
than  to  tear  a  leaf  out  of  my  Bible." 

1827-28  was  a  year  of  battle  and  of  vic- 
tory. A  great  meeting  was  held  at  Austin- 
town.  John  Henry  was  among  the  converts 
and  A.  S.  Hayden.  Deerfield  was  also  the 
scene  of  a  great  awakening.  Jonas  Hartzell 
lived  here,  a  most  zealous  and  successful 
preacher.  Indeed  it  was  a  current  saying 
through  the  Western  Reserve  that  all  the  male 
members  of  the  Deerfield  church  were  preach- 
ers. Everywhere  Scott's  labors  aroused  the 
greatest  interest.  The  new  views  were  can- 
vassed in  the  field,  the  forest,  the  workshop. 
The  Bible  was  read  with  new  fervor.  "The 
Mahoning  became  a  second  Jordan,"  says 
Baxter,  "  and  Scott  another  John,  calling  the 
people  to  repentance."  Services  were  held  in 
barns,  groves,  dwellings.  Baptismal  scenes 
occurred  often  at  night  by  the  blaze  of  torches 
or  the  light  of  the  moon.  Nearly  every  con- 
vert  became  a   preacher   and   every  Disciple 


WALTER   SCOTT.  57 

carried  his  New  Testament,  which  he  used  as 
the  Sword  of  the  Spirit.  They  became  known 
as  "Men  of  the  Book,"  or  "  Walking  Bibles." 

Review  :  What  were  the  conditions  among  the 
churches  when  Scott  began  his  work  ?  What  doc- 
trine was  proclaimed  by  him  ?  What  element  of  the 
Gospel  did  he  restore  ?  What  of  the  work  at  Austin- 
town  and  Deerfield  ?    Tell  the  story  of  John  Tait. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WALTER   SCOTT. 
{Continued.) 

Scott  arranged  the  conditions  of  pardon  in 
their  true  Scriptural  order.  Thomas  Campbell 
visiting  the  scene  of  his  labors  in  1828,  wrote  to 
his  son  :  <4  We  have  long  known  the  theory  and 
have  spoken  and  published  many  things  cor- 
rectly concerning  the  ancient  gospel,  but  I 
must  confess  that  in  respect  to  the  direct  exhi- 
bition and  application  of  it,  I  am  at  present  for 
the  first  time  upon  the  ground  where  the  thing 
has  appeared  to  be  practically  exhibited  to  the 
proper  purpose. ' ' 

An  anecdote  of  Scott  illustrates  this  ar- 
rangement.    Riding  into  a  village  near  the 


58  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

close  of  the  day  he  spoke  to  a  number  of  school 
children  and  gathered  them  about  him.  ''Chil- 
dren" he  said,  u  hold  up  your  left  hands.  Now, 
beginning  with  your  thumbs,  repeat  what  I 
say  to  you:  Faith,  repentance,  baptism,  re- 
mission of  sins,  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit — that 
takes  up  all  your  fingers.  Now  again:  Faith, 
repentance,  baptism,  remission  of  sins,  gift  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Now,  again;  faster,  alto- 
gether: Faith,  repentance,  baptism,  remission 
ot  sins,  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit!"  Thus  he 
continued  until  all  could  repeat  it  in  concert. 
The  children  were  greatly  amused,  thinking 
him  a  harmless  crazy  man.  H  Children,* '  he 
then  said,  "  now  run  home.  Don't  forget  what 
is  on  your  fingers,  and  tell  your  parents  that 
a  man  wrill  preach  the  gospel  to-night  at  the 
school  house  as  you  have  it  on  the  five  fingers 
of  your  hands."  Away  went  the  children,  re- 
peating the  story  until  it  was  all  over  the  vil- 
lage, and  long  before  the  hour  of  meeting  the 
house  was  thronged  to  hear  the  crazy  preacher. 

1828-29  Scott  associated  with  him  William 
Hayden,  a  wonderfully  sweet  singer  and  gifted 
preacher.     Great  success  attended  their  labors. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Association  at  Austin- 
town  over  one  thousand  converts  were  reported. 
On  this  occasion  John  Henry  moved,  "that  the 


WALTER   SCOTT.  59 

Mahoning  Association  as  an  advisory  council 
or  an  ecclesiastical  tribunal  should  cease  to 
exist."  This  marked  the  formal  separation 
from  the  Baptists.  Up  to  this  time  the  Associ- 
ation was  a  Baptist  body,  though  many  of  their 
Baptist  peculiarities  had  been  abandoned. 
Those  who  embraced  the  new  teachings  were 
called  "Campbellites"  or  "Scottites"  and  after 
the  dissolution  of  the  Association  they  were 
known  as  "Disciples." 

The  first  step  of  this  remarkable  man  was 
to  fix  upon  the  divinity  of  Christ  as  the  cen- 
tral and  controlling  truth  of  the  Christian 
system.  Then  he  arranged  the  elements  of 
the  gospel  in  their  simple,  natural  and  scrip- 
tural order.  Next  he  made  baptism  the  prac- 
tical acceptance  of  the  gospel  on  the  part  of 
the  penitent  believer,  as  well  as  the  pledge  or 
assurance  of  pardon  on  the  part  of  its  author. 
Finally,  in  dissolving  the  Association  he  freed 
the  disciples  from  the  last  bonds  of  human 
authority  and  placed  them  under  Christ  with 
the  Word  for  their  guide. 

In  1832  Walter  Scott  moved  to  Cincinnati 
and  began  the  publication  of  the  "Evan- 
gelist." He  resided  at  Carthage,  eight  miles 
north  of  the  city  for  thirteen  years.  His  la- 
bors at  this  period  were  extremely  arduous. 


60  SKETCHES  OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

Calls  for  his  services  were  incessant.  His 
home  was  an  humble  one.  Once  he  was  the 
owner  of  two  cows,  but  a  neighbor  had  none, 
and  soon  they  were  on  equality,  having  one 
each,  and  as  the  gift  he  thought  should  be 
worthy,  the  neighbor  got  the  best  cow.  His 
children  complained  at  this  somewhat,  not 
that  he  had  given  away  the  cow,  but  that  he 
had  parted  with  the  one  that  wore  the  bell. 
His  home  was  a  center  of  gracious  hospi- 
tality. Fellow  laborers  like  Stone,  Pinkerton, 
Rogers,  Jameson,  R.  Richardson,  his  former 
pupil,  and  others  often  cheered  him  with  their 
visits.  An  incident  related  by  one  who  visited 
him  at  Carthage  shows  his  simplicity  of  char- 
acter. "After  conversing  a  few  moments  he 
left  the  room  and  in  a  short  time  returned 
with  a  basin  of  water  and  a  towel,  and  in  the 
kindest  tones  said:  'My  young  brother,  per- 
mit me  to  wash  your  feet,'  and  he  immediately 
proceeded  to  do  so;  and  while  kneeling  at  his 
task  kept  me  engaged  in  conversation  until  it 
was  accomplished."  Scott  gives  an  instance 
of  this  act  of  hospitality  shown  him  in  Balti- 
more. During  the  winter  of  1S41-42  he  spent 
three  months  in  the  east  visiting  Baltimore, 
Philadelphia  and  New  York.  Of  his  visit  to 
the   first   of   these   cities   he   says:     "Were- 


WALTER   SCOTT.  61 

paired  to  the  hospitable  domicile  of  our 
brother  in  faith  and  spirit,  Alexander  Reed, 
and  certainly  never  was  man  by  man  or  bro- 
ther by  brother  received  in  a  manner  more 
congenial  with  the  spirit  and  precept  of  primi- 
tive Christianity  than  we  by  him.  'Simon,' 
said  our  great  and  glorious  Master  to  a  certain 
Pharisee,  'I  entered  into  thine  house  and  thou 
gavest  me  no  water  for  my  feet — thou  gavest 
me  no  kiss.*  Not  so  with  this  man  of  God, 
this  disciple  of  Christ.  He  embraced  us, 
kissed  us,  and  graciously  washed  our  feet. 
Our  heart  was  touched.  We  thought  we  saw 
in  the  faith  and  manner  of  this  disciple  both 
the  principle  and  practice  of  our  own  dear  Re- 
deemer and  we  made  no  effort  to  restrain  our 
tears.  We  were  both  silent  and  we  both 
wept." 

In  1S36  Walter  Scott  wrote  "The  Gospel 
Restored,''  a  full  and  systematic  view  of  the 
Christian  Religion.  When  on  a  visit  in 
Missouri  he  met  Moses  E.  Lard  who  threw 
his  arms  about  him  and  said  with  much  feel- 
ing:  "Bro.  Scott,  you  are  the  man  who  first 
taught  me  the  gospel.' '  "How  so?"  Scott 
asked.  "It  was  by  your  Gospel  Restored," 
answered  Lard. 

In    1857    he    completed   his    work     "The 


62  SKETCHES  OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

Messiah,  or  the  Great  Demonstration,"  his 
effort  of  greatest  literary  value.  Of  this  book 
Dr.  R.  Richardson  declares:  "In  view  of  its 
sublime  and  far  reaching  revelations,  its  cogent 
logic  and  still  more  striking  analytical  divi- 
sions and  just  distinctions,  the  rest  of  the 
literature  of  the  Reformation  seems  to  me  to 
grow  very  pale  and  dim." 

In  1840  there  was  much  discussion  among 
the  followers  of  Campbell  and  Scott  as  to  the 
name  by  which  they  should  be  known. 
4 'Reformed  Baptists,"  "Reformers,"  " Dis- 
ciples," <<Campbellites,,>  and  "Scottites"  they 
were  called.  In  this  they  wished  to  be  guided 
by  the  Word  of  God.  The  choice  was  between 
"Disciples  of  Christ"  and  "Christians."  Camp- 
bell contended  for  the  former  while  Scott 
favored  the  latter.  The  name  "Disciples"  he 
urged  was  a  common  noun  and  not  a  proper 
name  at  all  and  argued  from  Acts  11:26,  Acts 
26  :  28,  I  Pet.  4:  [6,  Rev.  2  :  13  in  favor  of  the 
royal  name  Christian. 

Walter  Scott   was  a  born   preacher.     He 
had  a  rich  melodious  voice  and  a  face  full  of 
expression.      "I  have  heard  l>aseom  and  St 
ton  and  many  other  gifted  men,  but  none  to 

compare  with  him/1  .    "he  stands 

alone."     He  was  a  man  of  rare  eloquence  but 


JOHN   T.    JOHNSON.  C3 

not  always  equal.  In  every  respect  he  was  a 
gospel  preacher.  He  went  to  Christ  rather 
than  the  Apostles.  Twice  a  week  for  twenty- 
two  months  he  discoursed  on  the  gospel  of 
Matthew  alone.  ''If  any  man  wrould  wTork 
faith  in  his  audience, "  he  tells  us,  "let  him 
give  his  days  and  nights,  and  wreeks  and  years 
to  the  study  of  the  evangelists."  Scott  fell 
asleep  in  Christ  at  Mayslick,  Ky.,  April  23, 
1S61. 


Rf.vtew  :  How  did  Scott  arrange  the  Conditions 
of  Pardon  ?  When  did  the  separation  from  the  Bap- 
tists take  place  ?  What  is  said  of  his  work  in  Cin- 
cinnati ?  What  of  feet  washing?  Of  what  books  was 
he  the  author  ?  Describe  him  as  a  man  and  as  a 
preacher. 


CHAPTER  X. 

JOHN   T.    JOHNSON. 

The  religious  movement  of  the  Campbells 
was  not  only  thoroughly  evangelical,  but  it 
was  intensely  evangelistic.  One  of  the  best 
examples  of  this  spirit  among  the  pioneers  is 
the  subject  of  this  skek  h.  He  was  born  in 
Scott  county,  Ky.,  near  Georgetown,  October 


G4  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

5,  1788.  His  parents  were  Virginians  and 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church.  Kentucky- 
was  then  a  frontier  state  and  Indians  were  still 
committing  depredations  upon  the  settlers. 
He  received  a  fair  education,  completing  his 
studies  in  Transylvania  University.  He  studied 
law  and  practiced  for  a  time.  In  18 11  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Sophia  Lewis,  a  girl  of  fifteen.  In 
18 1 3  he  served  as  aid  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  W. 
H.  Harrison  and  saw  active  service.  After 
the  war  he  was  for  several  years  a  member  of 
the  Kentucky  legislature  and  in  1820  was 
elected  to  congress. 

He  became  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church 
in  1 82 1.  Speaking  of  this  he  said:  u  It  was  a 
most  glorious  thing  for  me.  It  preserved  me 
from  a  thousand  temptations  and  kept  me  a 
pure  man.' '  "  During  the  years  '29  and  '30,' ' 
he  says,  u  the  public  mind  was  much  excited 
in  regard  to  what  was  vulgarly  called  '  Camp- 
bellism,'  and  I  resolved  to  examine  it  in  the 
light  of  the  Bible  I  was  won  over;  my  eyes 
were  opened,  and  I  was  made  perfectly  free  by 
the  truth,  and  the  debt  of  gratitude  I  owe  to 
that  man  of  God,  Alexander  Campbell,  no 
language  can  tell." 

in  preaching  and  sought  the  refor- 
mation and  enlightenment  of  the  church  of 


JOHN  T.    JOHNSON.  65 

which  he  was  a  member.  As  they  would  not 
hear  him,  he,  with  two  others,  formed  u  a  con- 
gregation of  God,"  February,  1831.  He  sur- 
rendered a  lucrative  law  practice  and  began 
his  career  as  an  advocate  of  simple  New  Testa- 
ment Christianity.  At  this  time  in  Kentucky 
there  were  eight  or  ten  thousand  people  vari- 
ously styled  uMarshallites,,,  "Stoneites," 
11  Schismatics,"  but  who  claimed  to  be  simply 
Christians,  taking  the  Word  of  God  as  their 
only  rule  of  faith  and  practice  and  repudiating 
all  human  creeds.  He  was  soon  associated 
with  "  that  eminent  man  of  God, ' '  Barton  W. 
Stone,  and  became  co-editor  of  his  paper,  The 
Christian  Messenger,  then  published  at  George- 
town, in  1832,  the  same  year  the  followers  of 
Stone  and  Campbell  effected  a  union. 

14  I  was  among  the  first  of  the  reformation 
in  co-operation  with  Stone, "  he  tells  us,  "  to 
suggest  and  bring  about  a  union  between  the 
Christian  churches  and  that  large  body  of 
Baptists  who  had  abandoned  all  human  isms 
in  religion."  1833  was  a  remarkable  year  in 
Kentucky.  Asiatic  cholera  swept  the  state. 
It  was  remarkable  also  for  the  success  of  this 
new  plea  for  the  union  of  Christians  and  con- 
version of  the  world.  Thousands  were  added 
to  the  churches.     J.  T.  Johnson  was  eminently 


GO  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEE! 

successful.  For  the  first  time  he  extended 
his  labors  beyond  the  borders  of  the  state,  vis- 
iting Walter  Scott  at  Carthage,  O.,  and 
preaching  with  great  power  and  acceptance  to 
the  people.  His  advocacy  of  the  principles 
of  reform  in  the  Messenger  was  at  the  same 
time  forcible  and  untiring. 

In  1834  he  closed  his  connection  wTith  the 
paper,  Stone  having  removed  to  Illinois,  and 
in  the  following  year  he  began  the  publication 
of  the  Gospel  Advocate.  In  labors  he  was 
every  wray  abundant.  He  preached  constantly 
and  gathered  into  the  churches  large  numbers 
of  converts.  In  a  meeting  of  ten  days  in  Sep- 
tember of  this  year  135  persons  "were  im- 
mersed for  the  remission  of  sins."  "There 
was  nothing  of  excitement  peculiar  to  revivals 
so  called.  Nothing  was  preached  to  excite 
the  animal  feelings.  It  was  the  gospel  of 
truth  that  did  the  work." 

The  cause  of  liberal  education  had  also  a 
large  place  in  this  good  man's  affections.  Ba- 
con College,  of  which  Walter  Scott  was  the 
first  president,  was  founded  in  1836  at  George- 
town, afterwards  was  moved  to  Harrodsburg 
and  later  became  Kentucky  University.    John 

Bon  was  a  fast  friend  of  this  institution.    \\'< 

don    also    that    some    work    Bhottld 


JOHN   T.    JOHNSON.  C7 

undertaken  for  orphan  children  no  doubt 
had  its  influence  in  bringing  into  exis- 
tence, through  the  efforts  of  Dr.  L.  L-  Pinker- 
ton,  that  noble  beneficence  known  as  The  Mid- 
way Orphan  School. 

In  the  year  1837  he  published  The  Christian, 
in  the  editing  of  which  he  was  assisted  b3^ 
Walter  Scott.  In  a  meeting  conducted  by 
him  in  Madison  county,  Kentucky,  about  this 
time,  in  three  weeks  185  persons  obeyed  the 
gospel.  Two  meetings  held  at  Caneridge  and 
North  Middletown  resulted  in  300  accessions. 
A  man  of  most  sanguine  and  buoyant  nature, 
enthusiastic  and  unwearying  in  his  labors  for 
the  spread  of  the  gospel,  never  for  one  mo- 
ment doubting  the  correctness  of  the  great 
principles  he  advocated  and  of  their  ultimate 
triumph,  thoroughly  absorbed  in  the  work 
of  converting  the  world  and  building  up  a 
united  church  as  his  master  passion,  he  wras  a 
wonderful  evangelist.  He  led  thousands  to 
decision  for  Christ.  Some  idea  of  the  intense 
interest  in  the  work  of  these  men  may  be 
formed  from  the  character  of  their  meetings. 
They  would  speak  for  hours  to  audiences  that 
never  wearied.  His  labors  were  by  no  means 
confined  to  his  own  state.  In  1843  he  made  a 
visit  to  Missouri  in  company  with  John  Smith, 


68  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

preaching  at  St,  Louis,  Palmyra,  Hannibal, 
and  other  points.  In  1845  he  made  an  exten- 
sive tour  in  the  Southern  States,  holding 
meetings  in  Little  Rock,  New  Orleans,  and 
elsewhere.  In  1845  he  visited  Virginia  and 
labored  in  Louisa,  Caroline  and  York  coun- 
tes,  and  in  the  City  of  Richmond,  meeting 
with  great  success. 

He  was  full  of  the  spirit  of  missions. 
<(The  imperious  mandate  of  our  King  to  his 
apostles,''  he  declares,  "is  'Go  into  all  the 
world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  ever}7  creature.' 
The  law  says  the  laborer  is  worthy  of  his  wages. 
Can  we  get  along  without  consultation  and 
co-operation?  If  we  can,  there  is  no  need  of 
congregations.  Every  divine  dispensation  of 
God's  goodness,  Patriarchal,  Jewish  and  Chris- 
tian, has  been  distinguished  by  consultation 
and  cooperation."  He  suggested  an  appor- 
tionment plan  for  raising  money,  that  church 
officers  take  the  list  of  members  and  let  each 
member  furnish  the  committee  the  value  of 
his  estate,  the  committee  ascertain  at  an  equal 
vote  what  each  member  has  to  pay  and  affix 
it  to  his  name,  and  the  members  be  furnished 
each  with  a  quota  in  writing."  His  idea  of 
the  relative  importance  of  the  different  de- 
mands upon  the  benevolence  of  the  church  is 


JOHN  T.    JOHNSON.  69 

seen  in  this  illustration:  "Let  the  church  de- 
cide upon  the  amount  that  can  be  raised  with- 
out oppression,  say  $600.  Let  this  sum  be 
divided  according  to  the  magnitude  of  the 
objects  to  be  accomplished.  For  example, 
expend  $225  for  preaching  at  home  and  the 
support  of  the  poor,  $200  for  evangelical  oper- 
ations, $100  for  colleges,  $75  for  the  education 
of  beneficiaries."  Such  a  system  as  this,  if 
practiced,  he  thinks  would  "soon  bear  the 
gospel  over  America  and  Europe."  He  advo- 
cated the  sending  of  A.  Campbell  to  England 
and  David  S.  Burnet  to  the  old  w?orld. 

He  was  an  ardent  temperance  advocate. 
Xot  only  was  he  a  total  abstainer,  but  he 
publicly  opposed  the  making,  vending,  and 
using  of  intoxicants  as  "Anti-patriotic,  Anti- 
philanthropic,  and  Anti-christian."  On  this 
great  issue  the  pioneers  were  sound.  A. 
Campbell  wrote  in  1842  :  "For  my  own  part 
for  more  than  twenty  years  I  have  given  my 
voice  against  the  distillation  of  ardent  spirits 
at  all.  I  have  both  thought  and  said  that  I 
knew  not  how  a  Christian  man  could  possibly 
engage  in  it.  And  how  a  Christian  man  can 
stand  behind  the  counter,  and  dose  out  dam- 
nation to  his  neighbors  at  the  rate  of  four 
pence  a  dose,  is  a  mystery  to  me,  greater  than 


70  SKETCHES   OF   OUR    PIONEERS. 

any  of  the  seven  mysteries  of  popery.  I  wish 
all  the  preachers  who  drink  morning  bitters 
and  juleps  would  join  the  temperance  society. 
All  persons  too  should  take  the  vow  of  total 
abstinence  who  habitually  or  even  statedly  or 
at  regular  intervals,  sip,  be  it  ever  so  little  of 
the  baleful  cup." 

John  T.  Johnson  fell  asleep  in  Christ  on 
December  18,  1856,  at  Lexington,  Mo.,  where 
he  was  in  the  midst  of  a  successful  protracted 
meeting.  His  remains  were  taken  to  Lexing- 
ton, Ky.  Thus  he  fell  in  the  ranks.  His 
whole  life  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  was  a 
series  of  protracted  meetings.  In  labors  he 
was  as  constant  as  Wesley.  A  man  of  delicate 
frame  yet  of  great  endurance  and  intense  en- 
thusiasm, he  rested  best  when  most  laboriously 
and  successfully  engaged  in  the  great  work  to 
which  he  had  devoted  his  life.  A  man  of 
apostolic  zeal  and  fervor  he  was  an  evangelist 
of  evangelists. 

RHVIBW  :  Give  the  early  history  of  J.  T.  Johnson. 
What  was  his  peculiar  gift?  Describe  his  connec- 
tion with   the  work   of  education.     Where    was   the 

scene  of  his  labors  ?  (five  his  financial  plan.  What 
was  the  attitude  of  the  pioneers  toward  temperance? 
Give  an  estimate  of  his  character. 


JOHN   SMITH.  71 


CHAPTER  XI. 

JOHN   SMITH. 

On  the  15th  of  October,  1784,111  Sullivan 
count}-,  Tenn.,  John  Smith,  familiarly  known 
as  "Raccoon  John  Smith/'  was  born, the  ninth 
of  thirteen  children.  That  part  of  the  ter- 
ritory of  North  Carolina  was  then  KiThe  Com- 
monwealth of  Franklin."  In  1795  the  family 
moved  to  Kentucky  and  settled  in  Stockton's 
Valley.  The  country  was  thinly  settled  and 
John,  when  twelve  years  old,  was  sent  by 
his  father  one  hundred  miles  on  horseback  to 
get  seed  corn  for  the  planting,  his  wallet 
stuffed  with  bear's  meat  and  wild  turkey.  Op- 
portunities to  acquire  an  education  were  wholly 
wanting.  In  religious  faith  his  parents  were 
rigid  Calvinistic  Baptists.  When  he  talked 
with  his  father's  pastor  the  good  man  labored 
to  impress  upon  him  the  thought  that  the  sin- 
ner is  utterly  dead  so  that  he  could  not  obey 
God  if  he  would;  and  utterly  depraved  also, 
so  that  he  would  not  obey  if  he  could ;  that 
he  could  not  please  God  without  faith,  nor 
have  faith  till  it  pleased  God  to  give  it,  and 
though  he  might  acknowledge  it  he  could  never 
truly  feel  his    desperate  wickedness   till   the 


72  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

Holy  Spirit  should  show  him  how  vile   and 
wretched  a  thing  he  was. 

He  felt  that  it  wTas  his  duty  to  become  a 
Christian,  and  on  the  death  of  his  father  in 
1803,  he  was  led  earnestly  to  seek  religion  after 
the  manner  of  the  times.  In  his  chamber,  in 
a  secret  place  in  the  forest,  with  his  face  in  the 
dust  and  with  agony  in  his  heart,  he  wrestled 
with  God,  expecting  some  audible  voice,  some 
supernatural  vision,  that  would  in  a  moment 
assure  him  of  salvation.  A  spicewood  thicket 
was  his  favorite  place  of  prayer.  He  said  to 
his  mother:  "  I  beseech  you  as  my  best  earthly 
friend  tell  me  wrhat  more  I  ought  to  do  for  I 
would  give  the  whole  world  to  be  a  Christian." 
"Ah!  John/' she  would  answer,  "  you  must 
wait  the  Lord's  time." 

As  an  illustration  of  the  character  of  the 
"  experiences"  related  in  those  days  an  ignor- 
ant and  simple-hearted  old  man,  who  was  called 
on  to  tell  what  the  Lord  had  done  for  him, 
arose  and  said:  "One  morning  I  went  out 
into  my  woods  to  pray,  and  I  saw  the  devil.'' 
The  people  listened,  and  none  more  eagerly 
than  Smith  who  was  anxious  to  learn  the 
Lord's  way  of  dealing  with  sinners.  u  I 
the  devil,"  repeated  the  man.  "You  may  all 
think  it  was  imagination,    but    I   saw  him 


JOHN   SMITH.  73 

plainly  as  I  see  the  preacher  there.* '  u  And 
how  did  he  look  ?"  asked  an  old  brother.  u  He 
was  about  the  size  of  a  yearlin'  ,' '  said  the  man. 
"  When  I  saw  him  I  could  not  pray  and  so  I 
came  home.  But  I  went  back  next  day  to  the 
same  place  and  he  was  gone  !  Then  I  was 
happy  for  I  knew  the  Lord  had  saved  me  out 
of  his  hands." 

Smith  was  disgusted  with  these  things. 
After  a  long  and  painful  experience,  on  the  26th 
of  December,  1804,  he  went  before  the  church 
and  made  a  simple  statement  of  his  religious 
struggles.  "  All  wTho  believe, "  said  the  Mod- 
erator, "that  the  experience  just  related  is  a 
work  of  grace  hold  up  the  right  hand." 
Every  hand  wrent  up  and  the  next  day  Smith 
was  baptized  and  received  into  the  church. 

A  desire  to  preach  soon  took  possession  of 
this  young  disciple  and  here  came  another 
struggle,  he  must  wait  for  a  divine  call.  It  is 
related  of  him  that  in  his  sleep  he  wras  once 
lifting  up  his  voice  so  loudly  that  he  awoke 
his  mother,  and  going  to  his  bedside  she  cried 
out:  '  ■  John,  are  you  distracted,  thus  to  preach 
without  a  call?"  About  this  time  he  received 
some  little  instruction  in  the  rudiments  of 
education  from  a  wheelwright  who  had  moved 
into  the   neighborhood,   and  wThile  toiling  on 


74  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

the  farm,  night  after  night  by  the  light  of 
blazing  pine  knots  he  studied  the  few  books 
that  fell  into  his  hands.  December  9,  1806, 
he  married,  and  took  his  young  wife  to  live  in 
a  log  cabin,  undaubed  and  without  doors  or 
windows,  but  soon  made  habitable  by  his  in- 
dustry. He  took  part  in  prayer  and  song  in 
the  religious  meetings  of  his  brethren  and  was 
urged  to  enter  the  ministry,  and  in  May,  1808, 
was  ordained.  His  zeal  was  now  unrestrained. 
He  traveled  from  point  to  point  and  spoke  in 
groves,  cabins,  school  houses  and  meeting 
houses.  He  had  a  fine  voice  and  his  sermons 
after  the  fashion  of  the  times  were  delivered 
in  a  solemn  chant.  Dwellers  among  the  hills 
of  the  Cumberland  declared  they  could  sit  at 
their  cabin  doors  and  hear  him  two  miles  off. 
He  declared  the  Calvinistic  doctrine  of  the  day: 
u  That  all  men,  without  exception  are  dead  in 
sin  and  can  of  themselves  do  nothing  to  please 
God;  that  they  are  wTholly  defiled  in  all  their 
faculties  of  soul  and  body;  that  not  only  is 
Adam's  guilt  imputed  to  all,  but  his  corrupt 
nature  is  conveyed  to  all ;  that  consequently  all 
are  utterly  indisposed,  disabled,  and  made  op- 
posite to  all  good,  and  wholly  inclined  to  all 
evil. 

"That  nevertheless,  by  God's  decree,  a  defi- 


JOHN   SMITH.  75 

nite  number  of  individuals  are  predestinated 
or  foreordained  to  eternal  life,  whom  God  chose 
and  appointed  personally  and  particularly  to 
glory  before  the  foundation  of  the  world  was 
laid,  without  any  reference  to  their  conduct  or 
character. 

"That  these  elect  persons,  being  spiritually 
dead  and  incapable  of  doing  anything  good, 
are,  in  due  time,  called  and  effectually  and  ir- 
resistibly drawn  to  Christ  without  any  agency 
of  their  own,  as  if  co-operating  with  the  Spirit, 
but  are  wholly  passive;  for  which  elect  persons 
only  did  Christ  die. 

"That  those  who  are  thus  elected,  called,  and 
made  alive  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  are  enabled  by 
the  same  divine  influence  to  do  many  things 
that  are  good  and  right;  that  they  can  repent 
and  believe  in  Christ  and  understand  and  obey 
the  Scriptures;  but  these  good  works  of  the 
renewed  man  are  not  in  any  sense  the 
grounds  of  his  justification  or  acceptance  wTith 
God. 

"For  God  decreed  from  all  eternity  to  justify 
the  elect,  although  they  are  not  personally 
justified  until  the  Holy  Spirit  in  due  time  actu- 
ally applies  Christ  to  them;  that  Christ's  own 
obedience  to  the  law  is  imputed  to  them  as 
their  whole   and   sole   righteousness  through 


76  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

faith,  which  is  the  work  of  the  Spirit  and  the 
gift  of  God. 

"That  all  who  are  thus  justified  can  never 
fall  from  grace;  but  will  certainly  persevere  to 
the  end  and  be  saved. 

"That  all  other  persons,  whether  men,  wom- 
en or  children,  are  reprobate — the  Holy  Spirit 
giving  them  neither  the  disposition  nor  the 
ability  to  do  good.  They  can  not  come  to 
Christ,  nor  did  Christ  die  for  them;  and  there- 
fore, they  must  perish  in  their  sins. 

"Finally,  that  elect  infants,  dying  in  infancy, 
will  be  regenerated  and  cleansed  from  Adam's 
sin  and  Adam's  guilt  by  the  Holy  Spirit  and 
saved — while  non-elect  infants  wTill  be  left  to 
perish  in  their  corruption  entailed  upon  them, 
and  in  the  guilt  imputed  to  them." 

In  November,  1814,  John  Smith  removed 
to  Huntsville,  Ala.  Scarcely  was  he  settled 
in  his  cabin  before  it  was  burned  to  the  ground 
and  two  of  his  children  were  lost  in  the  flames. 
He  had  been  troubled  before  in  preaching  the 
doctrine  concerning  non-elect  infants  and  his 
own  affliction  rendered  his  perplexity  unbear- 
able. As  soon  as  they  were  comfortably 
housed  in  a  new  cabin  the  wife  sickened  and 
died  and  he  himself  was  stricken  down  with  the 
cold  plague.     After   a    long    illness   he  grew 


JOHN   SMITH.  77 

strong  again  and  at  once  returned  to  Kentucky. 
The  Tate's  Creek  Association  met  at  Crab 
Orchard  the  last  of  August.  Smith  attended 
it.  It  was  hot  and  the  roads  were  dusty.  His 
horse  was  jaded  and  lean,  and  in  a  tattered 
pair  of  saddle  bags  swung  across  his  worn 
saddle  he  carried  a  home-spun  suit.  He 
reached  Crab  Orchard  covered  wTith  the  dust 
of  his  journey.  A  pair  of  home-spun  cotton 
pantaloons,  loose  enough,  but  far  too  short,  a 
shapeless  hat,  a  shirt,  coarse,  and  soiled  and  de- 
void of  collar,  socks  too  large  for  his  shrunken 
ankles  and  hanging  down  over  his  foxy 
shoes  made  up  his  curious  costume.  A  great 
crowd  was  assembled.  He  took  his  seat  on 
the  threshold  of  the  meeting  house.  It  wTas 
announced  that  some  one  would  preach  to  the 
throng  on  the  outside,  and  an  old  friend  recog- 
nized Smith  and  asked  him  to  preach.  Two 
young  preachers,  who  looked  with  contempt 
on  the  strange  figure  sitting  on  a  log  near  by, 
arose  in  turn  and  attempted  to  address  the 
people,  but  failed,  and  they  wTere  dispersing. 
Finally  Smith  was  persuaded  to  speak.  As 
he  arose  his  uncouth  appearance  caused  laugh- 
ter. The  people  be^an  to  go  away.  His 
words,  however,  soon  attracted  their  attention, 
and  the  whisper  went  around:     "It  is  John 


78  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

Smith,  from  Little  South  Fork  !"  "  I  am  John 
Smith,' '  he  said,  fl  from  Stockton's  Valle\\ 
Down  there  saltpeter  caves  abound  and  rac- 
coons make  their  homes.  On  the  wild  frontier 
we  never  had  good  schools,  nor  many  books; 
consequently,  I  stand  before  you  to-day  a  man 
without  an  education.  But  even  in  that  ill- 
favored  region  the  Lord  in  good  time  found 
me.  He  showed  me  his  wondrous  grace  and 
called  me  to  preach  the  everlasting  Gospel  of 
his  Son!" 

"  Redemption!  Redemption!  |M  he  shouted, 
and  his  voice  sounded  through  the  woods  like 
the  voice  of  a  trumpet.  He  had  been  speaking 
but  a  short  time  when  a  man  rushed  into  the 
house  and  going  to  Jacob  Creath,  begged  him 
to  let  all  business  alone  and  come  at  once  to 
the  stand.  "  Why,"  said  Creath,  "  what's 
the  matter?'*  "The  fellow  with  the  striped 
coat  on  that  was  raised  among  the  coons  is 
up/'  was  the  answer.     "Come  and  hear  him!'' 

Creath  hurried  out.  Others  followed.  The 
Association  broke  up.  Preachers  and  people 
gathered  about  the  platform.  Many  climbed 
the  trees  to  listen.  When  the  speaker  reached 
his  peroration  the  multitude  arose  and  stood 
on  their  feet,  and  when  he  closed  every  eye 
was  weeping  and  every  heart  thanked  God  for 


JOHN   SMITH.  79 

the  man  without  an  education.  Creath  rushed 
toward  him,  as  he  sank  exhausted  in  a  chair, 
and  clasped  him  in  his  arms.  Such  was  the 
origin  of  the  name  and  character  of  the  preach- 
ing of  this  heroic  man. 

Review:  What  do  we  know  of  the  early  life  of 
John  Smith?  What  of  his  religious  struggles  ?  De- 
scribe the  M  experiences  "  of  those  days.  What  was 
the  doctrine  preached  by  him  ?  Describe  his  appear- 
ance and  sermon  at  Crab  Orchard. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

JOHN  SMITH. 
{Continued.) 
Christmas  Day,  1816,  John  Smith  married 
Nancy  Hurt,  and  in  the  following  October  left 
Stockton  Valley  and  took  charge  of  four 
churches  in  Montgomery  county.  He  con- 
tinued to  read  critically  the  Philadelphia  Con- 
fession and  test  its  truth  by  the  Inspired  Stand- 
ard. Already  he  had  repudiated  the  doctrine 
of  infant  depravity  and  reprobation  and  was 
weakening  on  other  points  in  the  creed.  He 
soon  saw  that  the  doctrine  of  Personal  Election 
and  Reprobation  grew  out  of  the  dogma,  that 


80  SKETCHES  OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

the  Holy  Spirit  must  supernaturally  convert 
men  to  God.  This  dogma,  he  saw,  rested 
upon  the  assumption  that  the  sinner  is  dead — 
dead  in  such  a  sense  that  he  can  not  believe 
the  Gospel,  or  repent  of  his  sins  until  the  Spirit 
quickens  him  into  life,  and  consequently,  as 
all  men  are  not  brought  to  life,  the  Spirit 
must  pass  by  some  and  allow  them  to  perish — 
not  on  account  of  their  greater  unworthiness, 
but  simply  because  God  in  his  own  good 
pleasure  did  not  elect  them  to  eternal  life.  For 
these  Christ  could  not  have  died,  else  he  would 
have  died  in  vain.  The  entire  superstructure 
of  Calvinism  he  discovered  to  be  based  on  the 
notion  that  moral  death  destroys  man's  free 
agency.  il  What  is  this  death ?M  he  inquired 
anxiously.  Christians  are  said  to  be  dead  to 
sin.  Does  this  take  from  them  the  power  to 
sin?  May  they  not,  as  free  agents,  still  em- 
brace error,  and  do  wrrong?  If  then,  the 
Christian  who  is  dead  to  sin,  can  nevertheless 
do  wrong;  may  not  the  sinner,  who  is  dead  to 
righteousness,  nevertheless  do  light? 

He  felt  the  system  he  had  so  long  preached 
was  but  a  wind  of  doctrine  without  substan- 
tial basis.  Such  was  his  state  of  mind  when 
41  The  Christian  Baptist"  fell  into  his  hands. 
He  did  not  dream  until  now  that  it  was  possi- 


JOHN   SMITH.  81 

ble  for  a  man  to  be  a  Christian,  yet  belong  to 
no  religious  party,  for  he  had,  as  yet,  no  con- 
ception of  an  undenominational  Christianity. 
In  the  spring  of  1824  he  met  Mr.  Campbell  in 
Flemingsburg,  Ky.  On  entering  the  town  he 
saw  William  Vaughn,  a  Baptist  minister. 

"  Brother  John,"  said  he  to  Smith,  "have 
you  seen  Brother  Campbell  yet?  n  "  No,  sir," 
he  replied,  "I  have  not;  have  you?"  "Why, 
I  have  been  with  him  for  eight  days  and 
nights,  and  have  heard  him  every  day.M  "Is 
he  a  Calvinist  or  an  Arminian,  an  Arian  or  a 
Trinitarian  ?M  ' ' 1  do  not  know,"  said  Vaughn, 
"he  has  nothing  to  do  with  any  of  these 
things."  "Tell  me,  does  he  know  anything 
at  all  about  heart-felt  religion ?M  "  Bless  you, 
he  is  one  of  the  most  pious,  godly  men  that  I 
was  ever  in  company  with  in  all  my  life." 
"  But  do  you  think  he  knows  anything  about 
a  Christian  experience  t9i  inquired  Smith. 
"Lord  bless  you:  he  knows  everything,"  said 
Vaughn. 

Smith  was  introduced  to  Mr.  Campbell,  and 
as  he  arose  to  receive  him,  "His  nose''  as 
Smith  used  to  say,  ''seemed  to  stand  a  little  to 
the  North  y  Later,  he  heard  Mr.  Campbell 
preach,  and  turning  to  Vaughn  after  he  was 
through,  remarked:     "Is  it  not  hard  to  ride, 


82  SKETCHES  OF  OUR   PIONEERS. 

as  I  have  done,  twenty  miles  just  to  hear  a 
man  preach  thirty  minutes?  "  "  You  are  mis- 
taken," said  Vaughn,  <(  look  at  your  watch." 
He  looked,  and  saw  that  the  discourse  had  been 
just  two  and  a  half  hours  long.  u  Did  you  find 
out,"  asked  Vaughn,  "  whether  he  was  a  Cal- 
vinist  or  an  Arminian?"  "No,"  answered 
Smith,  "I  know  nothing  about  the  man,  but, 
be  he  saint  or  devil,  he  has  thrown  more  light 
on  that  epistle,  and  on  the  whole  Scriptures, 
than  I  have  received  in  all  the  sermons  that  I 
have  ever  heard  before !  " 

In  1824  John  Smith  began  to  preach  the 
great  facts  of  the  Gospel  and  to  call  on  all  men 
to  believe  them  on  the  testimony  of  the 
inspired  writers.  The  New  Testament,  he 
argued,  contains  all  that  is  necessary  to  be  be- 
lieved or  obeyed  in  order  to  the  enjoyment 
of  pardon  and  eternal  life  ;  and  faith  comes  by 
hearing  the  Word  of  God  and  is  simply  confi- 
dence in  Christ  and  in  all  that  God  has  said, 
promised  or  threatened  in  the  Scriptures.  The 
Christian  Confession  is  formally  contained  in 
the  proposition  that  Jesus  is  the  Messiah,  the 
Son  of  God,  the  cordial  acceptance  of  which  is 
the  faith  that,  in  full  dependence  on  him,  works 
by  love  and  purifies  the  heart.  The  penitent 
believer    is   introduced    into    the    Church,   or 


JOHN  SMITH.  83 

Family  of  God,  by  a  birth  of  water,  or  an  im- 
mersion into  the  name  of  Father,  Son  and 
Holy  Spirit.  In  October,  1825,  a  young  man, 
Jacob  Coons,  came  forward  in  one  of  his  meet- 
ings and  stated  to  the  church  that  he  had  been 
long  concerned  on  the  subject  of  religion,  but 
had  seen  no  strange  sights  and  heard  no  strange 
sounds;  that  he  believed  with  all  his  heart  that 
Jesus  was  the  Christ  and  wished  to  obey  Him. 

11  Brethren,"  said  Smith,  ' 'with  the  Bible 
in  my  hand,  if  I  were  to  die  for  it,  I  do  not 
know  what  other  question  to  ask  him ! ' '  Coons 
was  examined  no  further,  but  was  admitted  to 
baptism  on  that  simple  confession;  and  was 
perhaps  the  first  exemplification  of  the  ancient 
order  in  the  State. 

The  work  went  forw?ard  now  with  great 
success;  1828  was  a  memorable  year.  Smith 
was  preaching  constantly  to  great  multitudes. 
His  comrades  went  everywhere  preaching  the 
Word.  One  of  the  measures  of  reform  urged 
by  him  was  the  union  of  all  Christians  on  the 
basis  of  faith  in  fesas  as  the  Messiah  a?id  obe- 
dience to  Him  as  the  only  Head  of  the  Church. 
Believing  that  authoritative  creeds  were  divi- 
sive in  their  tendency  and  contrary  to  the  will 
of  God,  he  boldly  assailed  the  covenants  and 
confessions  of  the  denominations,  and  insisted, 


S4  SKETCHES   OF  OUR  PIONEERS. 

as  the  first  step  toward  union,  that  these 
should  be  destroyed,  and  that  in  their  stead  the 
apostolic  Gospel  and  order  must  be  restored. 
This  ancient  Gospel,  as  it  was  termed,  was  sim- 
ply the  tidings  that  remission  of  sins  and  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  were  assured  to  every  peni- 
tent believer  on  submission  to  the  authority  of 
Jesus  Christ  in  the  ordinance  of  baptism. 
Six  points  were  presented,  Faith,  Repentance, 
Baptism,  Remission  of  Sins,  the  Gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  the  Resurrection.  Facts  to 
be  believed,  conditions  to  be  obeyed,  promises 
to  be  enjoyed:  the  facts — the  death,  burial 
and  resurrection  of  the  Lord  Jesus;  the  con- 
ditions— faith,  repentance,  baptism;  the  prom- 
ises— forgiveness,  the  gift  of  the  Spirit,  eternal 
life:  faith,  destroying  the  love  of  sin;  repen- 
tance, the  practice  of  sin  ;  baptism  the  state  of 
sin — this  was  the  arrangement.  The  Ancient 
Gospel  was  supposed  to  embrace  everything  in 
the  doctrine  of  Christ  necessary  to  make  dis- 
ciples, the  Ancient  Order  everything  necessary 
to  preserve  and  perfect  them. 

Smith  usually  laid  off  his  discourses,  which 
were  from  two  to  three  hours  in  length,  in 
three  divisions:  In  the  first,  correcting  mis- 
representations; in  the  second,  exposing  pop- 
ular errors,   and  in  the  third,   presenting  the 


jonx  SMITH.  85 

simple  Gospel  to  the  people.  His  labors  were 
incessant.  Reviewing  the  work  of  a  few 
months  in  182S,  he  said  to  his  wife:  "  Nancy, 
I  have  baptized  700  sinners  and  capsized  1500 
Baptists."  He  was  traveling  and  preaching 
constantly.  His  patient  wife  cared  for  the 
children  and  cultivated  the  farm.  Once  he 
stopped  at  the  gate  in  passing  and  without 
dismounting,  called  to  her  and  said:  "  Nancy, 
I  have  been  immersing  all  the  week.  Will 
you  take  these  clothes,  and  bring  me  some 
clean  ones  right  away,  for  I  must  hurry  on  ?  n 
and  he  handed  her  his  saddle  bags.  "  Mr. 
Smith,"  she  said  pleasantly,  "is  it  not  time 
you  were  having  your  washing  done  some- 
where else  ?  We  have  attended  to  it  for  you 
for  a  long  time."  "  No,  Nancy/'  was  his  reply, 
11 1  am  much  pleased  with  your  way  of  doing 
things,  and  I  don't  wish  to  make  any  change." 
From  the  time  of  his  renunciation  of  Calvin- 
ism in  1822  to  1828,  he  recived  nothing  for 
preaching;  when  sent  out  as  an  evangelist 
with  John  Rogers  in  1832,  his  salary  was  £300. 
His  life  was  full  of  stirring  scenes  and  inci- 
dents. As  an  illustration  of  his  kindly  humor 
and  at  the  same  time  his  remorseless  logic,  it 
is  related  that  on  one  occasion  he  was  holding 
a  meeting  on  Slate  Creek.     A  Methodist  min- 


86  SKETCHES  OF   OUR   PIONEER8. 

ister  near  by  was  also  conducting  a  revival, 
and  according  to  the  custom  of  his  church,  one 
day  applied  water  to  an  infant  without  regard 
to  its  struggles  and  cries.  The  next  day 
Smith  baptized  ten  persons  in  a  beautiful 
stream  not  far  away,  and  seeing  the  Methodist 
brother  in  the  crowd,  walked  up,  and  seizing 
him  by  the  arm,  pulled  him  gently  but  firmly 
toward  the  water.  "  What  are  you  going  to 
do,  Mr.  Smith?"  said  the  preacher.  "What 
am  I  going  to  do  ?  I  am  going  to  baptize  you, 
sir!  n  "  But  I  do  not  wish  to  be  baptized  !  " 
"  Do  you  not  believe  ?  "  said  Smith.  "  Cer- 
tainly I  do."  "Then  come  along,  sir,"  said 
the  Dipper,  as  he  was  called,  "  believers  must 
be  baptized."  "  But,"  remonstrated  the  man, 
11  I'm  not  willing  to  go.  It  certainly  would 
do  me  no  good  to  be  baptized  against  my  will." 
11  Did  you  not,  but  yesterday,  baptize  a  help- 
less babe  against  its  will?  "  exclaimed  Smith. 
"Did  you  get  its  consent  first,  sir?  Come 
along  with  me,  for  you  must  be  baptized  !  " 
And  he  pulled  the  preacher  toward  the  water's 
edge;  but  the  man  loudly  protested  and  the 
Dipper  released  him.  "You  think,  sir,"  he 
said,  M  that  it  is  all  right  to  baptize  others  by 
viok-ncc.  but  when  you  yourself  are  made  the 
unwilling  subject,  you  say  it  is  wrong  and  will 


JOHN   SMITH.  87 

do  no  good  !  Go  your  way  !  M  "  But  friends,' ' 
he  exclaimed,  turning  to  the  people,  "  let  me 
know  if  he  ever  again  baptizes  others  without 
their  full  consent;  for  you  yourselves  have 
heard  him  declare  that  such  a  baptism  cannot 
possibly  do  any  good." 

John  Smith  was  one  of  the  leaders  who  at 
Georgetown,  Ky.,  on  Christmas  Day,  1831, 
and  at  Lexington,  on  New  Year's  Day  follow- 
ing, brought  about  the  union  between  the  fol- 
lowers of  Stone  and  Campbell.  This  he  always 
regarded  as  the  best  act  of  his  life.  He  was 
also  one  of  the  Board,  of  which  Mr.  Clay  was 
president,  which  governed  the  Campbell  and 
Rice  debate,  November,  1843. 

In  1865,  and  again  in  1868,  he  visited  Mis- 
souri. February,  1868,  he  preached  his  last 
sermon.  "What  a  great  failure,  after  all, 
would  my  long  and  checkered  life  have  been 
but  for  this  glorious  hope  of  the  hereafter!" 
was  one  of  his  last  wrords.  He  died  Feb.  28, 
and  was  buried  beside  his  faithful  wife,  Nancy, 
sharer  of  all  his  labors  in  the  Gospel,  at  Lex- 
ington, Ky.,  near  the  last  resting  place  of  J. 
T.  Johnson,  the  evangelist,  and  Henry  Clay, 
the  statesman. 


Review  :     How  did  John  Smith  reason  himself 


88  SKETCHES   OF  OUR   PIONEERS. 

out  of  Calvinism  ?  What  were  his  first  impressions 
of  A.  Campbell  ?  What  was  the  substance  of  his 
preaching?  Define  the  "Ancient  Gospel"  and  the 
44  Ancient  Order."  How  did  he  argue  against  infant 
baptism  ?  What  did  he  regard  as  the  best  act  of  his 
life? 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

SAMUEL   ROGERS. 

This  faithful  servant  of  the  primitive  Gos- 
pel was  born  in  Charlotte  county,  Virginia, 
Nov.  6,  1789.  His  father  served  through  the 
Revolution  and  was  present  at  the  surrender 
of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown.  In  1793,  the  fam- 
ily moved  to  central  Kentucky,  and  settled  in 
the  forest  two  miles  from  Winchester,  where 
they  lived  until  September  1801,  when  they 
went  to  Missouri,  known  at  that  time  as  New 
Spain.  They  were  four  weeks  on  this  journey 
and  lived  on  venison,  buffalo  meat,  and  fish, 
which  they  found  plentiful  in  their  line  of 
travel.  The  mother  carried  her  Bible  sewed  up 
in  a  feather  bed  for  fear  of  the  priests.  "  All 
that  I  knew  of  the  Christian  religion,  until  I 
was  grown  to  the  stature  of  a  man, "says  Samuel 


SAMUEL   ROGERS.  89 

Rogers,  "  I  learned  from  those  two  preachers, 
my  mother  and  the  old  family  Bible  which  she 
took  to  that  country  in  her  feather  bed."  He 
had  the  opportunity  of  attending  school  but 
three  months  in  his  life. 

In  1S09,  his  father  returned  to  Kentucky, 
and  in  1812  Samuel  married  Elizabeth  Irvin, 
and  soon  after,  under  the  preaching  of  Stone, 
became  a  firm  believer  in  Christ,  was  convicted 
of  sin  and  immersed.  War  being  declared 
between  England  and  the  United  States  he 
volunteered  and  served  throughout  the  strug- 
gle. After  the  war  he  entered  upon  the  wTork 
of  the  ministry  and  preached  on  both  sides  of 
the  Ohio  River  from  Portsmouth  to  Cincinnati. 
In  those  days  it  was  the  current  belief  that  the 
Lord  called  men  to  the  ministry  in  some  ex- 
traordinary way,  that  he  opened  a  door  of  ut- 
terance and  put  wrordsin  the  speaker's  mouth, 
and  by  a  special  interposition  of  power  he 
would  furnish  his  outfit,  and  direct  and  sustain 
him  on  his  way.  It  is  not  strange  with  this 
faith  the  preacher  would  start  on  a  tour  of  sev- 
eral months  with  only  "a  cut  ninepence"  in 
his  pocket. 

In  18 1 8,  he  settled  in  Clinton  county,  O., 
where  John  I.  Rogers  was  born  January,  18 19. 
Here  he  organized  the  Antioch  Church  and  was 


90  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

ordained  by  two  ministers  of  the  Gospel. 
"Old  Sister  Worley"  he  says,  "also  laid  hands 
on  me,  and  I  have  always  believed  that  I  re- 
ceived as  much  spiritual  oil  from  her  hands  as 
from  the  hands  of  the  others.''  Under  the 
rules  of  the  "New  Lights"  he  could  not  bap- 
tize until  this  was  done.  He  baptized  forty 
persons  at  that  time  and  during  his  ministry 
over  7,000.  Not  long  after  this  he  made  his 
first  preaching  tour  into  Missouri.  The  coun- 
try through  which  he  traveled  was  wild,  and 
often  as  he  camped  out  in  the  forest  he  was 
awakened  by  the  howl  of  wild  beasts.  He  saw 
elk,  deer,  wolves  and  bears.  He  was  over- 
taken by  a  prairie  fire  and  escaped  by  firing 
the  grass  around  him  and  keeping  to  the  wind- 
ward of  it.  He  was  three  months  on  this  tour 
as  an  evangelist. 

His  labors  extended  now  in  all  directions. 
He  journeyed  as  far  east  as  Baltimore,  where 
he  preached  a  few  discourses  and  baptized  sev- 
eral persons,  and  held  meetings  also  in  Harford 
county,  Md.  This  trip  must  have  been  a  try- 
ing one  for  he  speaks  of  his  "many  privations'' 
and  tells  how  he  was  forced  to  sell  his  Bible  and 
hymn  book  to  pay  ferriage  and  other  expei> 
On  one  of  these  trips  he  lived  for  two  days  and 
nights  on  "a  few  apples,"  but  he  tells  us  "the 


SAMUEL   ROGERS.  91 

truth  triumphed  gloriously."  He  made  a  half 
dozen  tours  through  the  State  of  Missouri,  and 
traveled  extensively  in  Kentucky,  Indiana, 
Illinois,  Ohio,  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia 
preaching  the  Gospel  to  the  people  and  receiv- 
ing less  than  his  actual  expenses.  "  Both 
among  our  preachers  and  people,"  he  says, 
1  'there  was  prevalent  a  foolish  sense  of  timidity 
upon  the  matter  of  taking  up  contributions  of 
money  for  the  ambassador  of  God.  The  little 
that  we  did  receive  was  collected  and  given  to 
us  in  a  manner  so  sly  and  secret  that  the  giver 
often  appeared  more  like  a  felon  than  God's 
cheerful  giver.  When  a  brother  or  sister  in 
telling  you  'Good-by,'  took  hold  of  your  hand 
in  a  clumsy  sort  of  a  way,  with  their  hand  half 
shut  and  half  opened,  you  might  look  out  for 
a  quarter  or  a  few  cut  ninepences.  I  have  had 
money  slipped  into  my  vest  and  pocket,  into 
my  pants'  pocket,  and  in  my  sack  while  I  was 
asleep.  All  this  was  done  that  the  ministry 
might  not  be  blamed,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
keeping  the  tell-tale  left  hand  in  blissful  ignor- 
ance of  what  the  right  had  done." 

Rogers  first  met  A.  Campbell  in  1825  at 
Wilmington,  O.  He  heard  him  preach  one 
sermon  two  hours  in  length,  and  afterward  had 
a  free  and  full  conversation  with  him  at  the 


SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

home  of  Jacob  Strickle.  As  lie  listened  to  this 
great  teacher,  cloud  after  cloud  rolled  away 
from  his  mind,  ' '  letting  in  upon  my  soul  light, 
joy,  and  hope  that  no  tongue  can  express.' ' 
He  looked  upon  Mr.  Campbell  as  a  modern 
Ezra  sent  to  restore  the  lost  law  of  God  to  the 
people.  u  The  reformation,' '  he  says,  "  had 
an  easy  conquest  over  all  our  churches,  for 
the  reason  that  they  were  right  constitution- 
ally; they  had  taken  originally  the  Bible  alone 
for  their  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  This  ex- 
plains the  fact  of  the  early  triumph  of  the 
reformation  in  the  Blue  Grass  region  of  Ken- 
tucky. Stone,  and  those  laboring  with  him, 
had  constituted  churches  throughout  central 
and  northern  Kentucky  upon  the  Bible  and 
the  Bible  alone,  and  all  these  without  excep- 
tion came  early  into  the  reformation.  Stone's 
reformation  was  the  seed  bed  of  the  reforma- 
tion produced  by  Campbell." 

In  1*27  Rogers  rode  200  miles  on  horse- 
back to  Warren,  O.,  to  attend  the  Mahoning 
Association  and  to  meet  with  Walter  Scott  and 
the  Campbells  and  their  co-laborers.  He  be- 
gan at  once  to  preach  these  views  with  great 
fidelity  and  power.  "  I  never  made  a  fine 
nion  in  my  life,"  he  declared,  44  but  I  have 
preached  a  great  many  very  fine  sermons, 


SAMUEL   ROGERS.  93 

as  powerful  sermons  as  were  ever  uttered  on 
earth.  But  all  of  these  fine  sermons  were  bor- 
rowed. I  borrowed  them  from  Christ  and  the 
apostles.  They  contained  the  most  sublime 
facts  in  the  universe  to  be  believed,  the  grand- 
est commands  to  be  obeyed,  and  the  most 
precious  promises  to  be  enjoyed.' p 

November  14,  1833,  the  day  after  the  great 
11  star-shooting,"  he  started  with  his  family  for 
Indiana.  His  near  neighbors  in  his  new  home 
were  Joseph  Franklin  and  wife,  who  were  im- 
mersed Methodists.  He  began  at  once  to 
preach  in  a  school  house  and  among  the  con- 
verts was  Benjamin  Franklin,  who  became  a 
famous  preacher  of  the  primitive  Gospel. 
Seven  preachers  came  out  of  this  meeting. 
His  son,  John  I.  Rogers,  was  one  of  them. 
For  five  years  he  labored  in  Indiana.  In  1838 
he  moved  back  to  Ohio,  and  in  1840  made  his 
third  missionary  tour  on  horseback  to  Mis- 
souri. He  was  the  second  preacher  to  carry 
beyond  the  Mississippi  the  doctrine  that  the 
Bible  and  the  Bible  alone  is  a  sufficient  rule  of 
faith  and  life,  Thomas  McBride  having  pre- 
ceded him. 

An  idea  of  his  preaching  may  be  gathered 
from  the  sketch  of  a  sermon  about  this  time  on 
election,  I  Pet.  i:  1.     He  showed   the  election 


94  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

of  believers  to  be  according  to  an  arrangement 
which  God  had  previously  made  known;  that 
elections  in  a  state  are  carried  on  according  to 
the  law  and  the  constitution  previously  ar- 
ranged and  made  known,  that  is,  according  to 
the  foreknowledge  of  the  framers  of  the  con- 
stitution; that  every  man,  elected  at  all,  must 
be  elected  according  to  that  previous  arrange- 
ment made  known  and  promulgated;  that  the 
law  clearly  defined,  first,  the  character  of  the 
person  to  be  elected  to  office,  and  secondly, 
the  mode  and  manner  of  holding  said  election. 
God  has  made  and  promulgated  such  a  law  for 
the  election  of  men  to  a  place  in  the  kingdom 
of  Christ;  that  kingdom  was  set  up  on  Pente- 
cost; Peter  was  the  one  chosen  to  publish  the 
law  of  election  and  Jerusalem  the  place  and 
Pentecost  the  time,  and  this  one  at  the  proper 
time  and  place  opened  the  polls,  laid  down 
the  rules  regulating  the  election,  and  3,000 
men  were  elected  according  to  the  previous 
arrangement  of  God  the  Father,  etc.  He  de- 
clared the  same  law  in  force  to-day  and  the 
polls  open,  and  asked  all  to  come  forward  who 
desired  to  be  chosen. 

On  his  fifth  tour  to  Missouri  he  had  a  most 
successful  visit  to  Gasconade  county.  He  tells 
how   the   primitive  teaching  was    introduced 


SAMUEL   ROGERS.  95 

here.  A  daughter  of  James  Parsons  heard 
him,  was  convinced  of  the  truth,  and  demand- 
ed baptism  at  his  hands,  but  her  physician 
prevented  her  obedience.  Later,  finding  her 
days  were  numbered,  she  desired  her  father, 
an  unconverted  man,  to  baptize  her.  He  de- 
clared himself  unworthy  to  perform  the  sacred 
rite.  She  urged  him,  saying  that  the  validity 
of  the  ordinance  did  not  depend  on  the  ad- 
ministrator. Her  family  and  friends  were 
greatly  moved  by  her  dying  entreaties.  They 
sent  far  and  near  for  a  preacher,  but  could  find 
none.  Finally,  the  girl  remembered  her  old 
colored  "mammy"  wras  a  pious  woman  and 
she  called  for  her  and  demanded  that  she  should 
baptize  her.  The  old  colored  woman  con- 
sented, a  bath  tub  was  provided,  and  Sarah, 
the  believing  girl,  wras  immersed,  and  rejoiced 
in  the  Lord.  This  opened  the  doors  to  the 
hearts  of  the  people,  and  the  Gospel  triumphed 
in  all  that  region.  On  this  tour  he  associated 
with  him  a  young  man,  Winthrop  H.  Hopson, 
who  became  afterward  the  gifted  and  eloquent 
Dr.  Hopson,  who  did  such  noble  service  for 
Christ. 

In  1844  Samuel  Rogers  settled  in  Carlisle, 
Ky.,  where  he  remained  seven  years.  He 
continued  to  travel  and  preach  constantly  and 


96  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

in  his  eighty- fourth  year  made  his  last  visit  to 
Missouri.  His  end  was  full  of  peace.  "  I  shall 
greet,"  he  said,  "  first  of  all,  my  Father,  whose 
hand  has  led  me  all  the  journey  through,  and 
my  Savior,  whose  grace  has  been  sufficient  for 
me  in  every  day  of  trial.  And  next  I  shall 
look  around  for  her  whose  love  and  goodness 
have  imposed  on  me  a  debt  of  gratitude  to  God 
I  can  never  repay.  When  we  meet  shall  we  not 
gather  up  the  children  and  grandchildren  and 
sit  down  under  the  shadow  of  the  throne  and 
rest?" 


Review:  What  of  the  early  life  of  Samuel 
Rogers?  What  was  meant  by  a  "Call  to  the  Minis- 
try ?  "  What  were  the  views  of  that  time  about  pray- 
ing ?  What  does  he  say  of  his  sermons  ?  Give  an 
outline  of  one  preached  by  him.  What  two  famous 
men  were  associated  with  him  ? 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE   CREATIIS. 

Among  the  leading  preachers  who  came 
out  from  the  Elkhorn  Association  in  1830,  and 
devoted  themselves  to  the  establishment  of  the 
reformed  views  in  Kentucky  was  Jacob  Creath, 
Sr.     He  was  born  in  the   Province  of  Nova 


THE   CREATHS.  97 

Scotia,  Feb.  22,  1777.  His  father  and  mother 
being  sympathizers  with  the  Americans  in  the 
Revolution  they  were  forced  to  emigrate  to 
the  States,  and  settled  in  Granville  county, 
N.  C.  Jacob  became  a  member  of  the  Bap- 
tist Church,  February,  1795,  and  the  following 
June  began  to  preach.  He  was  ordained  to 
the  ministry  by  John  Poindexter  and  William 
Basket,  at  the  "  Roundabout  Meeting  House," 
Louisa  county,  Va.,  in  April,  1798.  Hebe- 
came  pastor  of  Kingston  congregation,  Mat- 
thews county,  and  wras  a  member  of  the  Dover 
Association  with  Andrew  Broadus  and  Robert 
B.  Sample.  In  1803,  he  emigrated  to  Fayette 
County,  Ky.,  and  took  charge  of  the  church 
of  which  John  Gano  had  been  pastor. 

A  member  of  the  Elkhorn  Association 
when  the  congregations  who  preferred  God's 
Word  to  human  tradition  wrere  expelled  from 
it,  Jacob  Creath  with  John  Smith  and  others 
wTho  were  taunted  wTith  the  heresy  of  "  Camp- 
bellism,,,  was  put  out  without  being  allowed 
the  privilege  of  a  trial.  He  at  once  became  a 
zealous  advocate  of  the  new  teaching,  brought 
over  whole  Baptist  churches,  by  his  prudence 
and  mildness  did  much  to  allay  the  bitter  con- 
troversies of  that  period,  and  with  William 
Morton,  John  Smith,  and  others,  soon  organ- 


98  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

ized  a  large  number  of  churches  of  the  primi- 
tive faith  and  order.  He  traveled  extensively 
and  baptized  large  numbers  of  people. 

As  a  speaker  he  was  gifted  with  an  unusu- 
ally melodious  voice.  He  was  logical,  flowery, 
and  pathetic  as  he  wished.  He  was  a  natural 
orator  and  had  great  power  over  an  audience. 
Thomas  Campbell  said  of  his  defence  before 
the  Association,  that  he  had  heard  '  'the  most 
distinguished  speakers  of  England,  Scotland, 
and  Ireland,  but  Creath's  speech  was  the  most 
masterly  and  overwhelming  piece  of  eloquence 
to  which  he  had  ever  listened."  Henry  Clay 
pronounced  him  "the  finest  orator  that  Ken- 
tucky has  ever  produced.' '  Few  preachers 
were  ever  so  successful  in  winning  souls.  In 
"the  great  revival"  in  Kentucky  in  1827,  he 
baptized,  or  aided  in  baptizing,  1,400  persons. 
His  ministry  covered  a  period  of  56  years. 
March  14,  1854,  he  finished  his  course  with 
joy,  his  last  words  being  "I  am  happy !  " 

Jacob  Creath,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Mecklenburg 
county,  Va.,  Jan.  17,  1799.  He  was  one  of 
sixteen  children,  five  of  whom  became 
preachers  of  the  Gospel.  He  was  styled  Jacob 
Creath,  Jr.,  to  distinguish  him  from  his  uncle. 
At  a  very  early  period  he  began  to  think  of 
his  sours   welfare.      In    those    days    people 


THE   CREATHS.  99 

sought  Calvary  by  way  of  Sinai.  "I  strove  as 
hard  to  observe  the  laws  of  Moses,"  he  tells 
us,  "as  though  I  had  been  a  Jew.  Had  I  been 
told  to  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
repent  and  be  baptized  for  the  remission  of 
sins,  I  could  have  been  a  Christian  at  ten  years 
of  age,  as  easily  as  at  seventeen.  I  never  saw 
the  day  when  I  did  not  desire  to  be  good  and 
please  my  Maker.  I  often  withdrew  to  retired 
places,  and  prayed  to  Him  that  I  might  see  a 
great  light  shining  around  me  like  Saul  of 
Tarsus,  or  hear  a  voice  informing  me  that  my 
sins  were  pardoned.' ' 

April,  1817,  under  the  preaching  of  James 
Shelburne,  father  of  Silas  Shelburne,  he  ac- 
cepted Christ  and  was  baptized.  He  preached 
his  first  sermon  in  June  following.  In  1819, 
he  entered  the  University  of  North  Carolina 
at  Chapel  Hill,  and  in  1821  became  a  student 
in  Columbia  College,  Washington,  D.  C.  He 
located  first  in  Charlotte  county,  Va.,  1823, 
and  then  in  Kentucky.  He  attended  the  Elk- 
horn  Association,  1829,  which  was  assembled 
at  Lexington,  where  he  met  with  Raccoon 
John  Smith,  John  T.  Johnson,  and  others 
whose  views  he  had  already  adopted.  In  De- 
cember, 1829,  he  accompanied  A.  Campbell  to 
Nashville*     The  Elkhorn  Association  in  1830 


100  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

excluded  him  with  his  uncle  Jacob  Creath,  Sr., 
and  he  became  at  once  active  in  disseminating 
the  principles  of  reform.  He  held  a  notable 
meeting  with  John  T.  Johnson  at  Versailles  in 
J835,  where  140  confessed  with  the  mouth  the 
Lord  Jesus  and  were  baptized  for  the  remission 
of  sins.  Great  multitudes  attended  the  bap- 
tismal service.  The  roads  were  crowded  with 
wagons,  carts,  carriages,  footmen  and  horsemen, 
pressing  forward  to  witness  the  sublime  spec- 
tacle. H  Does  not  the  intense  interest  with 
which  such  baptisms  are  ever  regarded, "  he 
asks,  "indicate  that  they  are  the  God-originated 
method  of  introducing  human  beings  into  the 
kingdom  of  the  Messiah  ?  People  do  not  thus 
rush  from  large  scopes  of  country  to  see  a  little 
water  poured  or  sprinkled  upon  their  fellow 
beings.  It  was  the  most  delightful  meeting 
I  ever  attended.  I  never  expect  to  realize  a 
greater  degree  of  happiness  on  this  side  of 
heaven  than  I  then  enjoyed." 

He  was  a  very  devout  man.  His  habits  of 
devotion  were  regular  and  constant.  u  I  have 
long  been  in  the  habit  for  my  own  improve- 
ment/1 he  says,  "of  reading  the  first  chapter 
of  Genesis  on  the  first  day  of  every  January, 
and  of  reaching  the  last  verse  in  the  book  of 
Revelation  by  the  time  old  Mother  Terra  had 


THE   CREATHS.  101 

finished  her  annual  round.  Acting  upon  this 
plan  I  have  read  the  whole  divine  book  through 
more  than  fifty  times.,, 

In  1S39  he  removed  to  Missouri  and  began 
the  long  and  noble  service  which  is  gratefully 
remembered.  His  ministry  was  greatly 
blessed.  He  planted  churches  in  Hannibal, 
New  London,  St.  Louis,  and  many  other 
places.  He  served  also  as  evangelist,  travel- 
ing in  Illinois,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and  as 
far  south  as  Louisiana.  In  1849  he  ascended 
the  Mississippi  as  far  as  St.  Paul.  u  I  am  the 
first  man,"  he  declares,  "that  ever  preached 
the  primitive  Gospel  in  that  new  region,  as 
well  as  the  first  that  ever  proclaimed  it  in  Old 
Virginia.' ' 

In  1 85 1  he  made  a  tour  through  Kentucky, 
Mississippi  and  Alabama.  He  not  only  trav- 
eled widely  in  the  state  of  Missouri,  but  every 
year  made  long  visits,  in  a  half  dozen  other 
States,  preaching  constantly,  gathering  con- 
verts, and  establishing  churches.  "Though 
often  weary  in  my  work,"  he  says,  "I  was 
never  weary  of  it.  It  has  been  my  meat  and 
drink.  My  manner  of  passing  the  time  is  as 
follows:  In  summer  I  rise  at  4  o'clock  a.m., 
and  in  winter  at  5.  I  next  bathe  my  face, 
head  and  feet  in  cold   wTater.     My  wife  then 


102  SKETCHES   OF   OUR  PIONEERS. 

rises  and  dresses.  I  now  read  a  chapter  in  the 
Bible.  My  wife  reads  in  the  evening.  After 
reading  we  unite  in  prayer.  We  breakfast  be- 
tween 6  and  7.  After  breakfast  I  walk  about 
a  mile  to  a  grove  of  timber,  which  I  have  con- 
secrated as  an  'oratory/  I  then  spend  fifteen 
or  twenty  minutes  imploring  divine  mercy. 
And  I  hereby  testify  to  the  present  and  future 
generations  that  there,  the  world  shut  out, 
surrounded  by  the  beautiful  trees,  and  flowers 
and  birds,  and  other  useful  and  innocent  crea- 
tures that  comprehend  not  the  object  of  my 
mission  among  them,  I  have  enjoyed  sweeter 
pleasure  in  fellowship  with  Jehovah  than  this 
world  has  ever  afforded  me." 

His  labors  extended  from  1830  to  1872. 
He  saw  many  experiences  of  every  character. 
Traveling  in  Tennessee  to  a  place  called 
li  Beech  Grove,' y  he  passed  a  camp  ground 
near  the  early  home  of  James  K.  Polk,  where 
he  met  an  old  negro  driving  an  ox- wagon. 
Accosting  him  respectfully,  he  enquired  the 
way  to  Beech  Grove.  Pointing  to  the  camp 
ground  he  asked  the  old  colored  man  what  it 
was. 

"Dat,  Massa,  is  de  camp  ground,  Lock- 
ridge's  camp  ground."  u  What  do  the  people 
do  there,  ancle?"  asked  the  preacher.      u  De 


BENTLEY,    HENRY,    RAINES,    HAYDEN.  103 

white  folks,  Massa,  gets  'ligion  dar  in  August, 
and  dances  it  away  in  de  winter.  Den  dey  gets 
'ligion  de  same  time  nex'  year  and  dances  it 
away  Christmas  and  New  Years. "  "What  kind 
of  religion  do  you  call  that,  uncle,  that  comes 
and  goes  with  the  seasons  ?"  uDe  'ligion, 
Massa,  is  in  de  heels  ! "  "What  kind  of  re- 
ligion have  they  at  Beech  Grove ?n  "Dat  is 
de  know-nuffin  Campbellite  'ligion. "  "Where 
did  they  get  it?"  "De  white  folks  brings  it 
from  Nashville.' '  The  preacher  laughed 
heartily.  He  had  heard  of  "head  religion' ' 
and  "heart-religion,"  but  this  was  the  first 
time  he  had  heard  of  "heel  religion." 

Review  :  Who  was  Jacob  Creath,  Sr.?  What  is 
said  of  his  gifts  as  a  preacher?  Describe  the  early 
trials  of  J.  Creath,  Jr.,  in  finding  peace.  What  were 
his  habits  of  devotion?  Give  some  account  of  his 
labors.     What  three  kinds  of  religion  are  mentioned? 


CHAPTER  XV. 

BENTLEY,   HENRY,    RAINES,  HAYDEN. 

A  group  of  strong  men  were  gathered  about 
Walter  Scott  on  the  Western  Reserve,  Ohio,  to 
whom  we  owe  much.     Adamson  Bentley  was 


104  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

one  of  these  pioneers.  He  was  born  July  4, 
1785,  in  Allegheny  county,  Pa.  His  father 
moved  while  he  was  yet  young  to  Trumbull 
county,  Ohio.  He  confessed  Christ  and  was 
baptized  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  began  to 
preach.  With  great  fidelity  he  taught  Calvin- 
ism as  the  Gospel.  He  carried  this  system  in 
his  head  and  the  love  of  God  in  his  heart.  At 
a  great  yearly  meeting  in  1837  he  said:  t(  I 
used  to  take  my  little  children  on  my  knee, 
and  look  upon  them  as  they  played  in  harm- 
less innocence  about  me,  and  wonder  which  of 
them  was  to  be  finally  and  forever  lost !  It 
cannot  be  that  God  has  been  so  good  to  me  as 
to  elect  all  my  children  !  No,  No  !  I  am  my- 
self a  miracle  of  mercy,  and  it  cannot  be  that 
God  has  been  kinder  to  me  than  to  all  other 
parents.  Some  of  these  then  must  be  of  the 
non-elect  and  will  be  finally  banished  from 
God  and  all  good.  And  now  if  I  only  knew 
which  of  my  children  were  to  dwell  in  ever- 
lasting burnings,  oh!  how  kind  and  tender 
would  I  be  to  them,  knowing  that  all  the  com- 
fort they  would  ever  experience  would  be  here 
in  this  world!  But  now  I  see  the  Gospel  ad- 
mits all  to  salvation  I  Now  I  can  have  hope  of 
everyone  for  eternal  happiness!  Now  I  can 
pray  and  labor  for  them  in  hope  ln 


BENTLEY,    HENRY,    RAINES,    HAYDEN.  105 

In  1S10,  he  settled  in  Warren,  and  was 
ordained  and  took  charge  of  the  church.  He 
was  an  excellent  preacher  and  a  man  of  great 
social  influence.  He  was  present  at  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Mahoning  Association,  and  his 
ability  as  a  preacher,  and  tact  and  dignity  as  a 
presiding  officer,  rendered  him  one  of  its 
prominent  members  during  its  entire  existence. 
Tall,  manly,  graceful,  dignified,  eloquent  and 
honest,  he  had  great  power  with  the  people. 
He  traveled  extensively  in  Kentucky  and 
Pennsylvania,  crossed  the  mountains  many 
times  in  his  saddle,  and  was  constant  in  labors. 
When  the  great  principles  advocated  by  Camp- 
bell began  to  make  a  stir  he  was  one  of  the 
first  to  accept  them  and  boldly  seconded  Scott 
when  he  came  to  Warren,  and  the  whole 
church  adopted  the  plan  of  Union  contained  in 
the  New  Testament.  In  1831,  he  moved  to 
Chagrin  Falls.  He  preached  until  80  years  of 
age,  and  no  man  in  Northeastern  Ohio 
possessed  the  influence  wielded  by  this  princely 
man. 

John  Henry  was  another  of  this  group, 
perhaps  the  most  brilliant  and  gifted.  His  min- 
istry lasted  only  about  thirteen  years.  He  was 
a  native  of  Allegheny  county,  Pa.  It  was 
said  of  him  that  he  sung  tunes  when  not  a 


106  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

year  old  though  he  did  not  talk  until  four 
years  of  age.  He  was  a  skillful  musician,  play- 
ing nine  different  instruments,  and  composing 
music  with  ease.  His  religious  training  had 
been  in  the  Presbyterian  faith.  The  Chris tia?i 
Baptist  changed  him,  he  was  immersed  by 
Bentley,  and  in.  his  31st  year  gave  himself  to 
preaching  the  Gospel.  He  was  a  plain  farmer, 
and  among  the  common  people  he  had  great 
influence.  He  was  full  of  the  divine  Word 
and  was  called  often  the  " Walking  Bible"  or 
the  "  Bible  with  a  Tongue.''  Often  without 
any  of  the  studied  arts  of  the  orator  he  moved 
great  assemblies  with  a  mastery  that  chained 
attention  for  two  hours  at  the  time.  He  was 
tall,  six  feet  and  two  inches,  spare,  of  sandy 
complexion  and  sharp  features,  quick  in  his 
movements  and  in  the  operations  of  his  mind, 
social,  kind-hearted,  and  of  a  keen  and  ready 
wit.  Henry's  work  was  felt  throughout  the 
Western  Reserve.  At  an  early  time  preaching 
with  A.  Campbell  near  Minerva,  many  people 
who  had  never  seen  either  of  the  speakers, 
heard  him  in  the  morning  and  thought  it 
Campbell.  After  an  interval  Campbell 
preached,  and  many  of  his  hearers  said:  M  We 
wish  that  man  would  sit  down  and  let  Camp- 
bell  get  upy&T  he  knows  haw  to  preach."     He 


BENTLEY,    HENRY,    RAINES,    HAYDEN.         107 

was  a  man  of  One  Book.  Mr.  Campbell  said 
of  him:  "  As  a  preacher,  of  a  particular  order 
of  preachers  he  had  no  equal — no  superior. 
He  was  not  only  mighty  in  the  Scriptures  as  a 
preacher  and  teacher,  but  was  also  eminently 
exemplary  in  the  social  virtues  of  Christianity. ' ' 
He  died  May  i,  1844,  universally  mourned. 

Aylette  Raines  was  born  near  Fredericks- 
burg, Va.,  in  1797.  He  was  christened  in  the 
Episcopal  Church  at  four  years  much  against 
his  wishes.  His  parents  emigrated  to  Ohio 
when  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  be- 
came skeptical  from  reading  Paine's  "Age  of 
Reason,"  but  his  mother's  pious  teachings  held 
him  He  went  to  Indiana  and  engaged  in 
teaching.  There  he  fell  in  with  the  Restora- 
tionists  and  adopted  their  views.  "I  got  re- 
ligion," he  says.  "1  underwent  a  great  moral 
change.  There  was  much  of  the  love  of  God 
in  it.  Shrouded  as  I  was  in  error,  yet  there 
were  apertures  through  which  the  love  of  God 
passed  through  into  my  heart  and  made  me 
inexpressibly  happy.  I  now  commenced  the 
study  of  the  Scriptures  in  good  earnest  and 
after  two  years  began  preaching." 

He  came  in  contact  with  Scott  and  others 
preaching  the  ancient  Gospel.  Hundreds  were 
being  baptized.     He  concluded  to  hear  Scott 


108  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

for  himself.  One  object  he  had  in  view  was  to 
bring  Scott  into  debate.  In  the  first  sermon 
he  heard,  Scott  stated  what  he  called  "the  six 
points  of  the  Gospel."  Greatly  amazed  and 
confounded  he  feared  to  oppose  him  lest  he 
should  expose  himself.  The  discourse  seemed 
invulnerable.  He  said,  "I  can  do  nothing 
against  the  Gospel  preached  by  Scott  unless  I 
should  live  to  disgrace  it  which  the  Lord 
forbid." 

The  next  day  Raines  heard  Scott  again. 
His  subject  was  the  resurrection.  Again  he 
was  amazed.  Then  he  heard  him  on  the  two 
covenants  and  then  on  the  eleventh  of  Hebrews. 
Here  he  surrendered.  Scott  convinced  him 
that  he  should  lay  aside  his  philosophy  and 
preach  the  Gospel  as  the  apostles  proclaimed  it 
and  he  began  at  once  to  bear  his  testimony  for 
the  truth.  When  his  case  came  before  the 
Association  at  Warren  in  1828  it  was  claimed 
by  some  that  Raines  still  held  his  Restora- 
tionist  opinions,  and  should  not  be  admitted. 
Campbell  preached  on  Rom.  14,  defining  the 
difference  between  faith  and  opinion.  It  was 
agreed  that  if  Raines  expressed  his  willingness 
to  preach  the  Gospel  as  the  apostles  preached 
it,  and  to  retain  his  opinions  as  private  prop- 
erty,  in  harmony  with  the  principles  of  the 


BENTLEY,    HENRY,    RAINES,    HAYDEN.         109 

Reformation  there  would  be  no  objection.  It 
gave  an  example  of  freedom  of  thought  un- 
known under  the  creeds  and  a  striking  illustra- 
tion of  the  liberality  of  the  basis  of  Christian 
union  advocated  by  the  Reformers. 

After  the  union  of  the  followers  of  Stone 
and  Campbell,  Aylette  Raines  went  to  Ken- 
tucky and  assumed  charge  of  the  united 
churches  at  Paris  where  he  remained  for 
twenty  years  and  "by  his  steady  unremitting 
labors  and  able  advocacy  of  the  Reformation 
principles  greatly  extended  their  influence," 
says  Dr.  Richardson. 

William  Hayden  is  another  of  this  historic 
group.  Born  in  Westmoreland  county,  Pa., 
on  the  Lord's  Day,  June  30,  1799,  his  family 
removed  to  the  wilds  of  the  new  state  of  Ohio, 
in  1804,  and  settled  in  Youngstown.  He 
struggled  with  doubt  and  Calvinism  until  six- 
teen and  finally  fled  for  refuge  to  the  hope  of 
the  Gospel  and  was  baptized  May,  18 16,  uniting 
with  the  Baptist  Church.  In  October,  1821, 
he  heard  A.  Campbell  in  Warren.  "  He  was 
then  thirty-three  years  of  age,"  say<;  Hayden, 
1 '  the  sharpest  man  I  ever  saw  both  in  appear- 
ance and  in  intellect.  His  first  sermon  was 
from  the  text  '  Thy  Kingdom  Come.'  I  soon 
saw  what  he  meant  to  make  out  and  I  did  not 


110  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

intend  to  believe  him,  but  I  could  not  help 
believing  him."  In  1828  he  heard  Walter 
Scott,  and  his  direct  method  of  calling  sinners 
to  obedience  seemed  to  him  rash  and  danger- 
ous. Hearing  Scott  again,  his  first  words  were, 
1 '  There  is  not  a  man  in  this  house  who  believes 
that  God  means  what  he  says."  Then  he 
went  on  to  show  that  men  came  to  the  Bible 
with  their  heads  full  of  religious  systems  and 
theories  and  dared  not  take  the  Scriptures 
in  any  sense  inconsistent  with  these  theories 
less  their  religioussystems  be  endangered.  He 
vindicated  the  authority  of  God's  Word  as 
against  every  system  and  exalted  its  sufficiency, 
truthfulness,  and  trustworthiness,  showing  the 
propriety  of  relying  upon  the  divine  declara- 
tions alone,  in  which  the  terms  of  salvation 
were  presented  to  us  for  our  immediate  accept- 
ance. 

A  complete  revolution  was  wrought  in  the 
mind  of  Hayden.  The  Bible  became  to  him  a 
new  book.  The  Gospel  was  a  simple  develop- 
ment of  God's  love,  and  the  power  of  God  un- 
to salvation  to  everyone  that  believed  it,  and 
and  it  was  no  longer  a  mockery  to  preach,  pre- 
tending to  offersalvation  to  all,  yet  announcing 
that  this  was  nevertheless  reserved  for  a  defi- 
nite, pre-ordained  number  known  only  to  God. 


BENTLEY,    HENRY,    RAINES,    HAYDEN.         Ill 

Hayden  accepted  this  position  and  was 
ordained  by  Scott  and  Bentley.  His  labors 
from  that  time  were  double  those  of  most  men, 
working  with  his  hands  as  much  as  other  men 
and  yet  more  in  the  saddle  than  most  preachers. 
For  twenty-five  years  he  was  absent  from 
home  240  days  and  nights  out  of  365.  He 
was  incessant  in  preaching,  teaching  and  con- 
versation, public  and  private;  creating  open- 
ings and  occupying  them,  and  when  others 
could  be  found  to  occupy  them,  going  forth  to 
break  new  ground.  He,  with  his  brother,  A.  S. 
Hayden,  projected  the  Eclectic  Institute,  now 
Hiram  College,  and  he  had  much  to  do  with 
the  origin  of  the  Ohio  State  Missionary  So- 
ciety. In  1832  he  visited  New  York,  and  made 
many  tours  in  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Vir- 
ginia, Michigan,  Wisconsin,  and  even  Canada. 
During  his  ministry  of  thirty-five  years  he 
traveled  90,000  miles,  60,000  on  horseback,  a 
distance  of  twice  that  of  the  earth's  circumfer- 
ence; preached  9,000  sermons,  or  260  a  year; 
and  baptized  1,250  persons  writh  his  own  hands. 

He  had  the  gift  of  song.  People  would 
come  out  to  Scott's  meetings  to  hear  William 
Hayden  sing.  He  was  full  of  song  and  full  of 
songs  suited  to  every  condition.  Scott  said, 
"Give  me  my  Bible,  my   head,  and  William 


112  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

Hayden,  and  we  will  go  out  and  convert  the 
world!  "  He  died  at  Chagrin  Falls,  April  7, 
1863. 

Review:  Give  some  account  of  Adamson  Rent- 
ley.  What  do  we  know  of  John  Henry's  work  ? 
What  great  principle  was  settled  in  the  case  of 
Raines?  How  was  Hayden  convinced?  What  was 
the  extent  of  his  labors  ? 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

O'KANE,  GOODWIN,  HOSHOUR,  MATHES. 

Indiana  furnishes  a  most  interesting  group 
of  Pioneers.  John  O'Kaue,  born  in  Culpepper 
county,  Va.,  in  1802,  was  one  of  the  earliest. 
His  ancestors  were  Irish  and  belonged  to  one 
of  the  second  families  of  the  Old  Dominion. 
At  an  early  age  he  embraced  Christianity  and 
joined  the  New  Lights.  About  1830  he  left 
Virginia  and  located  in  Warren  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  preached  and  married.  He  became 
a  convert  to  the  "Ancient  Gospel"  and  re- 
moved to  Indiana  in  1832,  locating  at  Milton, 
Wayne  county.  Here  he  taught  school  and 
labored  also  as  an  evangelist,  traveling  and 
preaching  to  great  multitudes. 


O'KAXE,    GOODWIN,    HOSHOUR,    MATHES.       113 

In  1S33  he  went  to  Indianapolis,  preached 
in  a  log  house  on  Market  street  and  attracted 
great  attention.  The  Legislature  then  in  ses- 
sion tendered  him  the  use  of  the  Court  House 
aud  crowded  to  hear  him.  The  preaching  was 
different  from  anything  heard  before,  so  bold, 
pointed,  convincing,  buttressed  by  Scripture, 
enforced  by  the  commanding  voice,  expressive 
eye,  and  fine  oratory  of  O' Kane — it  seemed  to 
carry  everything  before  it.  It  was  a  pentecostal 
time.     A  church  was  organized. 

O'Kane  made  tours  in  Ohio  and  Kentucky. 
Everywhere  his  labors  were  very  fruitful.  He 
conceived  the  project  of  establishing  the  North- 
western Christian  University,  now  Butler  Col- 
lege. Of  a  tall  and  commanding  figure,  with 
a  powerful  voice  and  great  earnestness,  and 
with  a  ready  wit,  he  added  large  numbers  to 
the  churches.  An  orthodox  preacher  refused 
to  debate  with  him  but  expressed  his  willing- 
ness to  meet  Campbell  or  some  leader  of  the 
Reformation.  Fixing  his  keen  eye  on  the 
preacher,  and  pointing  his  long  finger,  after  the 
manner  of  John  Randolph,  he  exclaimed,  ' '  You, 
you  deba'e  with  Alexander  Campbell !  Why 
if  one  of  his  ideas  should  get  into  your  head  it 
would  explode  like  a  bombshell." 

Elijah  Goodwin   was  born  in   Champaign 


114  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

county,  Ohio,  January  16,  1807,  His  parents 
moved  to  the  Hoosier  Territory  in  18 13  and 
settled  near  Vincennes.  Brought  up  in  the 
Methodist  Church,  the  Bible  and  hymn  book 
were  his  library.  In  18 19  he  came  under  the 
influence  of  the  New  Lights,  made  a  profession 
of  religion  in  182 1  and  two  years  later  began  to 
preach.  On  his  examination  for  the  ministry 
he  was  asked  two  questions:  "What  think 
you  of  Christ  ?  "  and  ' '  Wnat  do  you  understand 
to  be  the  design  of  the  death  of  Christ  ? "  To 
the  first  he  answered  promptly:  "  I  believe  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God,"  and  to  the 
second :  M  I  believe  that  Christ  died  to  recon- 
cile sinners  to  God  and  not  God  to  sinners.' ' 

Preachers  received  little  remuneration  in 
those  days.  Goodwin's  coat  was  out  at  the 
elbows  and  the  length  of  his  trousers  had  evi- 
dently been  determined  on  principles  of  rigid 
economy.  Starting  on  a  journey  into  Illinois 
to  preach  one  of  his  brethren  asked  how  far 
he  was  going.  "Some  150  miles,"  was  the 
answer.  "How  much  money  have  you  for 
the  trip?"  "Twenty-five  cents."  The  man 
gave  him  an  additional  quarter;  he  went  on 
his  way  rejoicing,  spent  his  money  for  food  for 
his  horse,  and  fasted  two  whole  days. 

In    1827,   he  was  appointed  regular  evan- 


O'KANE,    GOODWIN,    HOSHOUR,    MATHES.      115 

gelist  by  the  Indiana  Christian  Conference. 
In  1835,  ne  resolved,  from  his  own  investiga- 
tion of  Bible  teaching  on  the  subject  of  con- 
version, to  declare  the  apostle's  doctrine  as 
preached  on  Pentecost.  4<  If  I  preach  the 
same  facts  to  be  believed,  and  the  same  com- 
mandments to  be  obeyed;  and  if  people  be- 
lieve and  obey,  surely  all  will  be  well,'  he 
reasoned,  "for  the  Lord  is  faithful  that  pro- 
mised." In  1847,  he  moved  tc  Bloomington, 
and  was  associated  with  J.  M.  Mathes  in  pub- 
lishing The  Christian  Record.  In  1849-51  he 
was  pastor  at  Madison;  1854,  he  was  agent 
for  N.  W.  C.  University;  1856,  he  became 
pastor  at  Indianapolis.  He  was  a  constant 
worker,  travelled,  edited  his  paper,  engaged 
in  public  discussions,  and  published  The  Family 
Companion.  He  answered  well,  in  his  life  and 
work,  to  Ccwper's  description  of  "A  messenger 
of  grace  to  guilty  men." 

Samuel  K.  Hoshour  was  a  native  of  York, 
Pa.  As  a  boy  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  at 
four  dollars  a  month  until  16.  It  was  then 
decided  to  put  him  at  the  tanning  trade,  but 
a  trifling  incident  changed  his  plans.  A 
school  teacher  was  needed.  A  miller  wrho  had 
employed  him  at  odd  times  about  his  books, 
said ,   M  Here  is  Sammy  Hoshour,  who  can  wrrite 


116  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

a  pretty  good  hand,  can  multiply  and  divide 
and  reduce  pints  to  bushels.  Why  not  try 
him?"  The  miller's  influence  prevailed  and 
he  was  invested  with  the  birch. 

In  his  1 8th  year  he  united  with  the  Lutheran 
Church  ;  then  studied  at  York  and  the  Theo- 
logical Institute,  New  Market,  Va.,  and  after 
serving  country  churches,  was  called  to 
Hagerstown,  Md.,  in  1831.  His  preaching 
became  very  Biblical.  Luther  was  lost  in  the 
greater  brightness  of  Paul.  An  unexpected 
religious  interest  was  awakened  in  1834  in  the 
Beaver  Creek  region  near  Hagerstown.  A 
preacher  appeared  in  the  place  who  called  him- 
self a  "Disciple  of  Christ."  He  made  many 
converts  and  established  a  church.  Hoshour 
was  asked  to  refute  his  errors  and  began  to 
study  the  subject  of  baptism.  On  page  2593 
of  Luther's  works  he  found  in  a  sermon  on 
baptism,  preached  June,  1520,  these  words: 

"In  the  first  place  Baptism,  in  the  Greek 
language,  is  called  Baptismosl  and  in  Latin, 
Afersioy  that  is  when  a  person  dips  something 
entirely  into  the  water,  the  water  will  cover  it; 
and  although  in  many  places  it  is  no  more  the 
custom  to  push  the  child  into  the  font  and 
dip  them,  but  only  to  bepour  them  with  the 
hand  out  of  the  font,   yet  it  ought  to  be,  and 


O'KANE,    GOODWIN,    HOSHOUR,    MATHES.      117 

would  be  right,  that  a  person  should,  accord- 
ing to  the  signification  of  the  word  'taufe,' 
wholly  sink  the  child  or  candidate  into  the 
water  and  baptize  and  draw  it  out  again;  as 
the  word  '  taufe  '  comes  from  '  tiefen,'  as  when 
a  person  sinks  ojie  deep  into  the  water  a?id  dips." 

He  found  another  Lutheran,  Mosheim,  p. 
10S,  saying:  M  The  sacrament  of  baptism  was 
administered  in  this  (the  first)  century  without 
the  public  assemblies,  in  places  appointed  and 
prepared,  by  an  immersion  of  the  whole  per- 
son in  the  baptismal  font." 

His  next  author,  Michaelis,  one  of  the  most 
learned  of  Lutherans,  he  found,  p.  606,  to  de- 
clare: "  The  external  act  of  baptism  is  dip- 
ping under  water.  This  the  Greek  word  bap- 
tizo  signifies,  as  every  one  acquainted  with  the 
Greek  language  must  admit.  The  baptism  of 
the  Jews  was  performed  by  immersion;  so  also 
was  that  of  John  the  Baptist.  Immersion  was 
practiced  till  the  thirteenth  century,  and  it  is 
desirable  that  the  Latin  church  had  never 
allowed  a  deviation  from  this.  But  it  did  oc- 
cur, and  at  the  Reformation  it  was  not  altered 
to  the  primitive  form." 

As  a  result  of  his  investigations  Hoshour 
was  firmly  convinced  that  immersion  in  water 
is  the  only   Christian  baptism.     He  resigned 


118  SKETCHES  OF  OUR   PIONEERS. 

his  influential  and  lucrative  position,  was  im- 
mersed, was  formally  excluded  by  the  Synod, 
moved  to  Indiana  and  taught  school  and 
preached.  Lew  Wallace  and  O.  P.  Morton 
were  among  his  pupils.  In  1858  he  was  chosen 
president  of  Northwestern  Christian  Univer- 
sity.    He  was  a  man  of  large  usefulness. 

None  of  the  Indiana  pioneers  contributed 
more  to  the  H  Current  Reformation M  than 
James  M.  Mathes.  Greatly  perplexed  by  the 
religious  teaching  of  the  time,  he  resolved  to 
read  the  New  Testament  alone.  He  concluded 
he  must  be  baptized  for  the  remission  of  sins, 
but  not  a  preacher  in  all  the  country  would 
baptize  him.  He  had  heard  of  A.  Campbell, 
but  regarded  him  as  an  arch-heretic;  he  de- 
rived his  li  Campbellism  "  directly  from  the 
Bible.  Finally  he  talked  to  an  old  Xew  Light 
preacher,  who  said:  "You  are  right.  It  is 
the  Lord's  plan,  and  whatever  he  commands  I 
can  cheerfully  perform.  I  am  ready  to  im- 
merse you  for  the  remission  of  sins.M 

Young  Mathes  began  at  once  teaching  and 
preaching.  His  salary  was  socks,  and  country 
jeans,  and  farm  produce.  He  taught  school 
and  worked  with  his  hands.  Great  success  at- 
tended his  labors.  In  1843  he  baptized  607, 
and  in  thirty  years  6000.     In   185 1  lie  moved 


ALLEN,  HOPSON,  LARD.  119 

to  Indianapolis,  where  he  published  The  Chris- 
tian  Record,  in  all  16^  volumes;  also  the 
Works  of  B.  W.  Stone,  and  Letters  to  Bishop 
Morris.  His  work  was  great  and  his  influence 
blessed. 


Review:  Who  was  O'Kane?  What  is  said  of 
his  work  in  Indianapolis?  How  did  Goodwin  answer 
the  questions  put  to  him  at  his  examination  for  the 
ministry  ?  Describe  his  early  struggles.  How  was 
Hoshour  led  to  change  his  church  relations  ?  What 
of  the  pioneer  work  of  Mathes  ? 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

ALLEN,    HOPSON,    LARD. 

The  first  Church  of  Disciples  in  Missouri 
was  planted  by  Allen  Wright  at  Antioch,  Ran- 
dolph county,  out  of  which  came  H.  W.  Haley, 
T.  P.  Haley,  Alexander  Proctor,  and  others. 
T.  M.  Allen  moved  to  Boone  county,  Mo.  from 
Kentucky  in  1836.  He  was  born  in  Virginia, 
October  21,  1797.  He  was  a  fine  looking  man, 
over  six  feet,  weighing  180  ponnds,  with  a 
good  voice  and  commanding  style;  an  accomp- 
lished, well  educated  gentleman.  He  had  a 
fine  estate,  and  his  eminent  social  qualities 


120  SKETCHES   OF  OUR   PIONEERS. 

and  ample  fortune  gave  him  access  to  the  best 
people.  He  served  in  the  war  of  i8i2,and 
was  trained  as  a  lawyer.  B.  W.  Stone  baptized 
him  in  1823  and  he  was  one  of  the  original  six 
members  of  "Old  Union,' '  Fayette  county, 
Ky.  Here  he  was  ordained.  He  planted  the 
churches  at  Paris  and  Cynthiana. 

After  his  removal  to  Missouri  he  was  not 
only  a  successful  business  man  and  farmer, 
but  a  laborious  preacher  of  the  Gospel.  He 
was  constantly  traveling  and  holding  meetings. 
In  private  houses,  barns,  groves,  court  houses, 
in  the  halls  of  the  legislature,  and  in  nearly  all 
the  meeting  houses  of  the  state  his  voice  was 
heard  pleading  the  cause  of  righteousness  and 
truth,  and  the  union  of  God's  children  by  re- 
turning to  apostolic  doctrine  and  practice. 

He  was  a  great  friend  of  education.  Bethany 
College  owes  him  much,  and  Christian  College, 
Canton,  Mo.,  was  projected  by  him  together 
with  D.  P.  Henderson  and  others.  He  also 
led  in  the  establishment  of  Camden  Point 
Orphan  School.  His  earthly  labors  closed 
October  10,  1871. 

M<  Sea  K.  Lard,  was  one  of  the  early  work- 
ers in  the  State  of  Missouri.  Born  in  Bedford 
COtint  ,\Tenn., October  29,  1S1S,  his  parents  emi- 
grate I  to  Missouri  when  he  was  fourteen.  They 


ALLEN,    HOPSON,    LARD.  121 

were  very  poor.  At  seventeen  he  was  not  able 
to  write  his  name  and  he  worked  at  the  tailor's 
trade  for  a  living.  At  twenty-three  he  heard 
the  Disciples  and  accepted  the  primitive  Gospel, 
and  the  next  year  held  his  first  meeting,  the 
story  of  which  is  told  in  the  first  volume  of 
Lard's  Quarterly. 

In  March,  1845,  he  entered  Bethany  College. 
He  had  a  wife  and  two  children  and  under 
great  pecuniary  embarrassment  made  his  way 
through  that  institution,  graduating  with  dis- 
tinguished honors.  He  returned  to  Missouri 
and  entered  actively  upon  the  work  of  the 
ministry. 

At  Liberty  and  Independence  he  made  his 
reputation  as  a  writer  and  preacher.  While 
at  the  former  place  in  1857,  he  wrote  his  "Re- 
view of  Jeter  on  Campbellism.,,  Already 
recognized  as  the  greatest  preacher  among  the 
Disciples  in  Missouri,  this  book  established 
his  reputation  as  a  trenchant  and  vigorous 
writer.  From  Liberty  he  moved  to  Camden 
Point,  and  for  a  time  was  president  of  the  col- 
lege ;  then  to  St.  Joseph,  where  he  preached 
for  several  years. 

In  1859  he  made  a  successful  preaching 
tour  in  Kentucky,  and  in  i860  held  his  debate 
with  Caples.     In  1863  he  located  in  Kentucky 


LSS  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

and  began  the  publication  of  Lards  Quarterly, 
an  able  periodical.  During  the  civil  war  he 
made  a  trip  to  Canada,  and  returning  became 
pastor  of  the  Main  Street  Christian  Church, 
Lexington.     He  died  in  1880. 

Mr.  Lard  was  six  feet  three  inches  in  height, 
of  large  and  bony  frame,  small  piercing  eyes, 
the  mouth  of  an  orator,  with  strong  analytical 
mind,  and  wonderful  heart  power.  He  often 
carried  his  audiences  away  by  bursts  of  im- 
passioned eloquence.  Many  incidents  are  re- 
lated of  his  readiness  in  the  pulpit.  Preach- 
ing once  on  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins 
a  man  interrupted  him  with  the  question:  "  Mr. 
Lard,  do  you  mean  to  teach  that  all  men  who 
are  not  baptized  will  go  to  hell?"  u  No,  sir, 
no,  sir,"  replied  the  preacher  instantly,  u  but 
I  do  mean  to  teach  that  if  you  are  not  baptized 
you  will  go  to  hell,  because  you  know  it  to  be 
your  duty,  and  if  you  do  not  do  what  you 
know  to  be  your  duty,  you  will  be  lost." 

On  another  occasion  when  preaching  on 
the  same  subject  a  man  rose  and  said:  "  Mr. 
Lard,  if  you  were  on  the  plains,  a  thousand 
miles  from  water,  and  a  man  dying  should 
send  for  you,  and  you  should  convince  him  of 
his  sins,  and  he  should  believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus    Christ  and  be  willing    to  confess  him, 


ALLEN,  HOPSON,  LARD.  123 

and  you  knew  that  in  all  probability  he  would 
die  before  you  could  find  water  to  baptize  him, 
what  would  you  do  ?"  Instantly  he  replied: 
11  Sir,  I  would  start  for  water,  and  if  the  man 
should  die,  he  would  die  on  his  way  to  obedi- 
ence.' ' 

Dr.  Winthrop  H.  Hopson  was  another  great 
preacher  of  this  early  period.  Born  in  Chris- 
tian county,  Ky.,  April  26,  1823,  of  Virginia 
parents,  his  family  moved  to  Missouri  when 
he  was  a  child.  He  was  educated  in  Illinois 
College,  Jacksonville,  and  while  there  was  an 
inmate  of  the  home  of  B.  W.  Stone.  He  grew 
up  under  the  influence  of  Stone,  Allen  and 
Rogers.  The  latter  describes  him  at  18  as 
11  graceful,  gentle  and  dignified  in  his  bearing, 
with  an  intelligent  eye  and  a  charming  voice; 
altogether  such  a  one  as  would  at  once  com- 
mand respect,  and  at  the  same  time  excite  the 
suspicion  that  he  might  be  a  scion  of  the  stock 
of  F.  F.  Vs.  of  old  colony  times."  They 
preached  together.  "  I  did  the  grubbing,  and 
Winthrop  piled  the  brush,  or  when  Winthrop 
made  the  log  heaps,  I  fired  them. M 

During  the  first  seven  years  of  his  minis- 
try, Dr.  Hopson  received  $400.  In  1848,  he 
graduated  in  medicine,  and  in  185 1,  was  ap- 
pointed  State  Evangelist    of    Missouri.     He 


124  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

traveled  in  a  buggy  thousands  of  miles,  and 
everywhere  great  congregations  greeted  him 
and  hundreds  were  converted.  From  1852  to 
1858  he  conducted  a  successful  school  at 
Palmyra,  Mo.  He  was  a  great  student.  He 
never  preached  a  sermon,  unless  thoroughly 
prepared,  and  his  sermons  were  delivered  with 
wonderful  power.  In  1859  ^e  held  a  great 
meeting  in  Cincinnati  which  was  attended  by 
thousands.  He  moved  to  Lexington,  Ky.,  in 
i860.  From  1864  to  1868  he  preached  in 
Virginia,  principally  as  pastor  of  the  old 
Sycamore  Church,  Richmond.  He  returned 
to  Kentucky,  and  wras  pastor  of  the  Walnut 
Street  Church,  Louisville,  and  one  of  the  edi- 
tors of  the  Apostolic  Times.  In  1874,  he 
became  President  of  Christian  University, 
Canton,  Mo.  He  died  in  Nashville,  Tenn., 
1880. 

Dr.  Hopson  was  a  magnificent  specimen  of 
manhood,  kingly  and  martial  in  his  bearing. 
Waiting  one  time  for  a  train  at  a  Missouri 
town,  pacing  the  platform,  he  overheard  two 
Irishmen  talking:  "Pat  and  can  ye  tell  me 
who  that  man  is?M  M  I  dunno,"  said  Pat. 
"  Be  Jabers,"  said  the  first,  <4 1  wonder  if  he 
thinks  he  made  God  Almighty  or  God 
Almighty    made     him!"       But     there     was 


BURXET.  RICHARDSON,  SHEPARD,  PENDLETON.     125 

nothing  haughty  about  this  godly  man. 
Gentle,  he  was,  kind,  affectionate,  generous 
to  a  fault.  I  knew  him  well  and  heard  him 
often.  He  was  a  great  preacher.  To  look  at 
him  was  a  sermon. 


Review  :  Who  first  planted  the  primitive  faith 
in  Missouri?  What  of  T.  M.  Allen's  work?  Give  the 
history  of  M.  E.  Lard?  What  anecdotes  are  related 
of  him  ?    Who  was  Hopson  ?    Describe  him. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

BURNET,  RICHARDSON,  SHEPARD,  PENDLETON. 

Here  is  a  group  of  scholars.  The  move- 
ment of  the  Campbells,  like  that  of  Luther 
and  his  co-laborers,  was  marked  by  its  noble 
culture.  The  leaders  in  the  sixteenth  century 
were  all  university  men — the  plea  for  restora- 
tion has  been  urged  by  scholars  and  thinkers. 
David  S.  Burnet  was  born  of  Scotch  parentage, 
July  6,  1808,  in  Dayton,  O.  When  eight  years 
of  age  his  father  moved  to  Cincinnati,  where 
he  served  twelve  years  as  mayor  of  the  city. 
Educated  in  the  Presbyterian  faith  while  yet  a 


126  SKETCHES  OF  OUR  PIONEERS. 

youth  the  study  of  the  Bible  convinced  hiin 
his  religious  position  was  wrong;  he  deter- 
mined to  change  his  church  relations,  and 
united  with  the  Baptist  Church.  He  rejected 
the  authority  of  creeds,  declined  to  accept  any 
test  but  the  divine  Word,  and  based  his  ap- 
plication for  baptism  on  Romans  x:  6-10. 
Immediately  afterward  he  commenced  preach- 
ing, though  offered  an  appointment  in  West 
Point  Military  Academy. 

Surrounded  by  influential  relatives  and 
friends,  and  with  every  promise  of  wealth  and 
worldly  honors,  he  esteemed  the  reproach  of 
Christ  greater  riches  than  all  the  honors  of 
men  and  became  an  humble  preacher  of  the 
Gospel.  He  began  preaching  at  16;  was 
called  to  the  pastorate  at  Dayton  at  20;  and 
organized  at  27  the  Sycamore  Street  Baptist 
Church,  Cincinnati,  out  of  which  grew  the 
Central  Christian  Church. 

March,  1830,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Gauo, 
daughter  of  Gen.  John  S.  Gano,  and  soon 
after  was  actively  engaged  as  evangelist  in  the 
Eastern  States.  Especially  was  he  successful 
in  the  cities.  From  1834-40  he  edited  The 
Christian  Preacher.  He  also  published  The 
Christian  Family  Magazine,  The  Christian 
Age,  and  The  Reformer;  edited  a  Sunday-school 


BURNET.  RICHARDSON,  SHEPARD,  PENDLETON.     127 

Library  of  56  volumes,  and  The  Ckristia?i 
Baptist.  Two  years  he  was  president  of  Bacon 
College.  He  served  churches  in  Cincinnati, 
New  York  and  Baltimore.  He  was  the  first 
pastor  among  the  Disciples  and  an  orator  of 
great  power.  He  died  in  Baltimore  in  1867. 
4i  Brethren,' '  he  said,  "  my  faith  is  strong  in 
God.  I  die  in  the  faith  of  the  Gospel  and 
have  no  fears,' '  and  repeating  the  23d  Psalm 
in  English  and  Hebrew  he  passed  away.  At 
the  time  of  his  death  he  had  been  chosen  presi- 
dent of  the  American  Christian  Missionary 
Society,  of  which  he  was  formerly  Secretary, 
to  succeed  Mr.  Campbell. 

Robert  Richardson  was  a  man  of  vast  and 
varied  attainments.  Born  in  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
September  12,1806,  of  Irish  stock,  he  was  reared 
in  the  Episcopal  Church  and  wras  confirmed  by 
Bishop  White  in  1824.  Leaving  the  university 
his  family  desired  him  to  enter  the  ministry, 
but  being  a  very  retiring  man  by  nature  he 
shrank  from  appearing  before  a  public  audi- 
ence and  concluded  to  choose  instead,  the  pro- 
fession of  medicine.  Walter  Scott  had  been  a 
tutor  in  his  family  and  when  evangelist  on  the 
Western  Reserve  he  called  to  see  the  Doctor, 
then  practicing  his  profession  near  Pittsburg, 
and  told  him  he  was  baptizing  for  the  remis- 


128  SKETCHES  OF  OUR   PIONEERS. 

sion  of  sins  as  had  been  done  in  the  beginning 
when  the  Gospel  was  first  preached  on  Pente- 
cost, as  recorded  in  the  Second  of  Acts. 

<4  It  seemed  to  me  a  very  extraordinary 
proceeding,  but,  referring  to  the  transactions 
of  the  day  of  Pentecost,  I  could  not  deny  that 
the  Record  sanctioned  it.  Feeling  somewhat 
unsettled  by  the  discovery  that  in  the  begin- 
ning converts  were  baptized  for  the  actual  re- 
mission of  sins,  and  knowing  that  Mr.  Scott 
regarded  immersion  as  the  action  denoted  by 
baptism,  I  resolved  to  examine  this  question 
particularly,  and  as  I  had  never  before  done, 
having  previously  confided  implicitly  in  the 
views  and  usages  of  the  clergy.  I  soon  fully 
satisfied  myself  that  the  true  meaning  of  the 
word  baptism  was  immersion;  and  finding  that 
I  had  all  my  life  been  mistaken  and  deceived 
in  regard  to  it,  in  consequence  of  trusting  to 
the  interpretation  of  the  clergy,  I  determined 
that  henceforth  I  would  be  guided  solely  by 
the  Scriptures  themselves,  and  that  I  would 
follow  whithersoever  they  would  lead  me." 

June,  1829,  Dr.  Richardson  was  baptized 
by  Scott.  He  rode  from  Pittsburg  to  Shalers- 
ville  on  the  Western  Reserve  to  obey  the  Gos- 
pel. Shortly  afterward  he  removed  to  Wells- 
burg,  Va.,  where  he  resided  and  gave  himself 


BURNET,  RICHARDSON,  SHEPARD,  PENDLETON.     129 

to  preaching  and  practicing  his  profession.  In 
1833  he  located  at  Carthage,  O.  After  two 
years  he  went  to  Bethany,  W.  Va.,  where  for 
eighteen  years  he  was  professor  of  chemistry 
in  Bethany  College  and  co-editor  of  the  Har- 
binger. He  wTrote  over  the  names  "  Discip- 
ulus"  and  "R.  R,"  and  his  essays  on  "  Re- 
generation," "The  Kingdom  of  Heaven' '  and 
"The  Gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit"  are  famous. 
Dr.  Richardson  wrote  "  Memoirs  of  A  Camp- 
bell, "  an  invaluable  biography  and  history; 
11  Communings  in  the  Sanctuary,"  a  devotional 
work  of  rare  value  ;  M  Principles  and  Objects  of 
the  Religious  Reformation,' '  perhaps  the  clear- 
est statement  yet  published  of  the  purposes  of 
Campbell  and  his  co-workers,  and  "  The  Office 
of  the  Holy  Spirit."  He  was  a  charming 
writer  and  a  saintly  man. 

Silas  E.  Shepard  was  born  in  Utica,  N.  Y. , 
February  2,  1801.  He  was  a  student  from  his 
youth.  At  16  he  became  dissatisfied  with  his 
baptism  as  a  Congregationalist  and  united  with 
the  Baptist  Church.  His  independent  investi- 
gation of  the  Scriptures  also  led  him  to  lose 
confidence  in  human  creeds.  Having  received 
a  thorough  classical,  medical,  and  theological 
course  of  training  he  devoted  himself  to  the 
ministry.     After  teaching   18  years  at  Shamo- 


130  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

kin,  Pa.,  he  moved  to  Canton  in  1827.  Here 
he  accepted  A.  Campbell's  teaching,  a  con- 
clusion previously  reached  by  independent 
thinking.  In  1828  he  preached  at  Smithfield. 
The  church  resolved  "  that  we  pay  Elder  Shep- 
ard  for  our  minister  one-half  his  time,  for  one 
year,  $150  for  his  services,  payable  in  wheat 
at  $1  and  corn  and  rye  at  50c.' ' 

He  preached  and  studied  ancient  languages 
until  he  took  a  position  in  the  front  rank  of 
Biblical  scholars.  In  Greek,  Latin  and  He- 
brew he  was  critical  and  thorough.  He  was 
called  to  New  York  and  served  as  pastor  of 
the  church  on  17th  street  eight  years.  He 
was  connected  with  the  American  Bible  Union 
as  vice-president,  member  of  the  board  of 
managers,  and  translator,  and  was  associated 
with  such  men  as  Conant,  Armitage,  and 
others.  In  1858  he  traveled  extensively  in 
Europe  and  Asia.  In  1865  he  was  connected 
with  N.  \V.  Christian  University,  and  from 
1867  to  1870  was  president  of  Hiram  College. 
He  was  an  intimate  friend  of  James  A.  Gar- 
field. Thousands  were  brought  into  the  church 
by  Dr.  Shepard,  principally  in  the  states  of 
New  York  and  Pennsylvania. 

One  of  the  ripest  scholars  connected  with 
the  "  Current  Reformation  "  is  \Y .  K.  Pendle- 


BURNET,  RICHARDSON,  SHEPARD,  PENDLETON.  131 

ton.  He  is  a  native  of  Louisa  county,  Va.,  born 
September  8,  1817.  His  family,  from  the  earli- 
est history  of  the  Old  Dominion,  have  been  hon- 
ored public  servants  of  the  church  and  state. 

When  the  movement  to  restore  the  church 
as  in  the  beginning  first  started  in  Virginia, 
his  father,  Col.  Edmund  Pendleton,  and  brother, 
Dr.  Madison  Pendleton,  accepted  the  plea  and 
founded  the  celebrated  "  Gilboa  Church." 
which  has  been  the  mother  of  many  of  the 
Virginia  churches.  His  father's  house  was 
the  home  of  the  Reformation  in  that  region, 
and  in  such  an  atmosphere  he  was  reared.  Edu- 
cated in  the  best  Virginia  schools,  and  in  its  uni- 
versity both  in  the  classical  and  law  courses,  he 
was  eminently  fitted  for  his  life  work. 

When  Bethany  College  wras  founded  in 
1S41,  he  was  appointed  Professor  of  Natural 
Philosophy  and  served  the  college  as  pro- 
fessor, vice  president  and  president  until  1887. 
He  became  co-editor  of  the  Millennial  Har- 
binger  in  1844,  and  was  for  many  years  its 
editor,  closing  the  publication  in  1870  in  its 
41st  volume.  For  several  years  he  was  Super- 
intendent of  Public  Instruction  for  West  Vir- 
ginia. In  1 87 1  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 
conferred  on  him  the  honorary  title  of  Doctor 
of  Laws. 


132  SKETCHES   OF  OUR   PIONEERS. 

As  president  of  Bethany  College,  Dr.  Pen- 
dleton rendered  his  greatest  service.  A  noble 
Christian  character,  a  cultured  and  unblem- 
ished gentleman,  an  accomplished  and  trained 
scholar,  a  logical  and  gifted  teacher  of  New 
Testament  Christianity,  he  has  impressed  him- 
self upon  thousands.  Honored  and  beloved  he 
still  lives  to  bless  the  cause  with  his  ripe  coun- 
sels and  spotless  example. 

Review  :  Who  were  the  scholars  of  the  Refor- 
mation ?  Name  others.  Give  some  account  of  Bur- 
net. Who  was  Dr.  Richardson?  Name  his  writings. 
What  important  office  was  filled  by  Shepard?  Give 
the  history  of  Dr.  Pendleton. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

BULLARD,  COLEMAN,  SHERBURNE. 

These  sketches  would  not  be  complete 
without  some  mention  of  the  Virginia  pioneers. 
It  was  in  old  Virginia  the  Campbells  first 
plead  for  a  return  to  the  primitive  faith  and 
life.  The  little  " Panhandle91  has  its  most 
wonderful  history  from  the  influences  that 
went  out  from  the    "Sage  of  Bethany."     Its 


BULLARD,  COLEMAN,  SHELBURNE.      133 

country  printing  press,  its  school  of  the  proph- 
ets, and  its  great  teacher  can  well  claim  a 
mighty  share  in  molding  the  religious  thought 
and  practice  of  the  century.  Matthias  Luse 
little  knew  what  he  wTas  doing  when  he  bap- 
tized those  seven  persons  June  3,  18 12.  The 
results  of  the  war  of  that  period  between  the 
States  and  the  mother  country  were  trivial 
compared  with  the  consequences  that  flowed 
from  that  action. 

Very  early  also  in  Eastern  Virginia  forces 
were  at  w7ork,  independent  of  Mr.  Campbell's 
movement,  which  looked  to  the  same  end. 
Chester  Bullard  began  urging  in  the  South- 
western part  of  the  State  the  cause  of  religious 
reformation  without  knowledge  of  the  work 
in  the  "Panhandle."  His  parents  were  Bap- 
tists and  his  mother  a  remarkably  pious  wo- 
man. At  seventeen  he  professed  conversion 
at  a  Methodist  meeting,  but  unable  to  subscribe 
to  their  teaching  he  remained  disconnected 
from  any  party.  Deeply  anxious,  however, 
on  the  subject  of  religion,  devoted  to  the 
Bible,  and  possessed  of  an  independent  mind, 
he  learned  that  true  religion  consisted  in  the 
knowledge  and  love  of  God,  and  that  after 
faith  and  repentance  baptism  was  required. 
His  eldest  brother  about  this  time,  traveling 


134  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

in  Pennsylvania,  picked  up  by  accident,  at  a 
hotel  where  he  was  stopping,  a  copy  of  The 
Christian  Baptist.  This  he  read  before  going 
to  rest,  and  was  so  impressed  by  it  that  he 
advised  his  brother-in-law,  upon  his  return  to 
Montgomery  county,  Va.,  to  subscribe  for  it 
saying  the  editor  was  a  half  century  ahead  of 
his  age.  This  was  done.  During  the  same 
year,  1831,  Dr.  Bullard  completed  his  medical 
studies  and  began  the  practice  of  medicine  in 
Giles  county.  Earnestly  desiring  baptism,  he 
was  unable  to  obtain  it  at  the  hands  of  the 
Baptists,  unless  he  united  with  them,  which  he 
did  not  wish  to  do.  He  made  known  his  views 
to  Landon  Duncan,  a  minister  of  the  Christian 
connection,  who  baptized  him  and  he  at  once 
began  to  preach,  delivering  his  first  discourse 
the  same  evening. 

Dr.  Bullard  presented  simple  views  of  the 
Gospel,  declared  its  salvation  to  be  freely 
offered  to  every  creature,  and  showed  that  faith 
came  by  hearing  and  he  that  believed  and  was 
baptized  should  be  saved.  He  organized  his 
first  church  near  the  source  of  the  Catawba  in 
lS33-  By  degrees  most  of  those  in  connec- 
tion with  Duncan  gave  in  their  adhesion  and  a 
number  of  churches  were  organized  in  that 
part  of  Virginia.     These    people  were  called 


BULLARD,  COLEMAN,  SHELBURNE.      135 

li  Bullardites."  The  doctor  used  to  tell  of  an 
old  German  brother  who  in  his  public  prayers 
besought  the  Lord  to  open  the  eyes  of  the 
Methodists  "dot  dey  might  all  come  over  and 
jine  Bullard!" 

In  1839,  Dr.  Bullard  happened  to  take  up 
and  read  Campbell's  "Extra  on  Remission"  at 
the  house  of  his  brother-in-law.  Up  to  this 
time  he  had  held  the  strongest  prejudices 
against  Campbell.  Surprised  and  delighted 
with  the  new  views  this  extra  gave  of  the 
Gospel  he  immediately  sought  out  all  the 
numbers  of  the  Harbinger,  and  was  overjoyed 
to  find  how  clear  and  consistent  were'Mr.  Camp- 
bell's views  and  how  different  from  the  slan- 
derous misrepresentations  circulated  through 
the  press  and  pulpit.  He  immediately  began 
to  circulate  these  writings,  preaching  with 
great  success  the  reformatory  principles,  and 
happy  in  finding  himself  associated  with  a 
host  of  fellow  laborers  in  the  same  cause. 
Hearing  Mr.  Campbell  was  to  visit  Charlottes- 
ville he  determined  to  meet  him  and  ever 
afterward  kept  up  with  him  constant  Christian 
fellowship. 

Dr.  Bullard  travelled  all  over  Virginia 
preaching,  baptized  thousands,  and  organized 
a  great   number    of   churches.     He   was   an 


136  SKETCHES  OF  OUR  PIONEERS. 

earnest  man,  a  strong  preacher,  an  exhorter  of 
great  force,  and  an  untiring  worker.  He 
lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  honored  and  loved  by 
all. 

Reuben  Lindsay  Coleman  was  born  May 
13,  1807,  near  Scottsville,  Va.  He  was  of 
Baptist  parents.  The  death  of  his  mother 
when  he  was  nine  years  of  age,  profoundly 
impressed  him  and  led  to  serious  religious 
reflection  and  great  prayerfulness.  The  death 
of  his  eldest  brother  when  he  was  sixteen, 
deepened  these  impressions  and  he  resolved  to 
become  a  Christian.  He  attended  the  meetings 
of  the  Methodist  Church  and  sought  at  the 
mourner's  bench  the  benefit  of  their  prayers 
but  failed  to  find  peace.  He  gave  himself  to 
Bible  study  and  prayer.  Such  were  his 
anxieties  that  his  health  gave  way.  Finally 
he  became  satisfied  that  Christ  was  the  Sen  of 
God,  that  he  came  to  save  sinners,  and  was 
both  able  and  willing  to  save  them,  and  he  felt 
also  that  he  was  a  sinner  and  would  give  the 
world  to  become  a  Christian.  He  asked, 
"Why  am  I  not  saved?  Christ  needs  not  to 
be  made  willing  by  the  intercession  of  preach- 
ers for  '  He  that  is  willing  to  come  unto  me,  I 
will  in  no  wise  cast  out.'  I  love  God  and  the 
people  of  God.     I  pray  to  God  and  desire  to 


BULLARD,  COLEMAN,  SHELBURNE.      13? 

serve  him,  yet  have  no  assurance  that  my  sins 
are  forgiven.' '  He  determined  to  offer  him- 
self for  baptism.  The  Baptists  received  him 
as  a  fit  subject,  and  he  was  no  sooner  buried 
with  Christ  than  he  arose  from  the  water  with 
new  views  and  feelings.  His  faith,  perfected 
by  obedience,  had  become  eSective,  the  dark- 
ness of  his  mind  passed  from  him,  he  realized 
that  his  sins  had  been  washed  away  by  the 
blood  of  Christ,  and,  that  of  this  he  had  re- 
ceived, in  baptism,  the  assurance  he  had  so 
long  sought  in  vain. 

Mr.  Coleman  at  this  time  knew  nothing  of 
A.  Campbell's  teachings.  From  what  he  had 
heard  he  regarded  him  as  a  semi-infidel.  Soon 
after  his  baptism  he  began  preaching  and  held 
a  meeting  in  Charlottesville,  where  he 
organized  a  church,  and  in  May,  1831,  was 
ordained  as  its  pastor.  He  was  very  popular 
and  in  labors  was  abundant  and  successful. 

For  the  first  time,  during  the  Constitutional 
convention  in  1830,  he  heard  Mr.  Campbell  in 
Richmond  at  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  a 
discourse  of  three  hours  on  the  Covenants. 
Embracing  these  views  he  became  one  of  the 
most  zealous  and  eloquent  of  Mr.  Campbell's 
co-workers,  accompanied  him  in  many  of  his 
tours,  and  labored  with  great  success.     Mr. 


138  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

Campbell  held  him  in  special  regard.  In  the 
Harbinger  of  1845  he  says:  "His  eloquence 
is  truly  evangelical.  It  is  the  eloquence  of 
good  sense,  of  refined  sentiment,  of  deep  feel- 
ing, and  of  impassioned  earnestness.  He  has 
been  so  much  in  communion  with  apostles  and 
prophets,  so  long  and  so  intimately  conversant 
with  their  writings,  as  to  have  caught  their 
spirit  and  acquired  their  solemn  and  impressive 
manner  of  presenting  the  will  of  God  and  its 
sovereign  claims  upon  the  affections  and  the 
acquiescence  of  all  his  hearers." 

No  better  description  of  Mr.  Coleman 
could  be  written.  He  reminded  his  hearers  of 
one  of  the  old  prophets.  An  ungodly  man 
said  he  would  go  farther  to  hear  Lindsay  Cole- 
man say  "OlyOrd!"  than  to  listen  to  any 
other  preacher  that  ever  lived!  On  one  of 
Mr.  Campbell's  visits  to  Philadelphia  he  an- 
nounced that  Mr.  Coleman  had  arrived  and 
would  speak  alternately  with  him  during  the 
evenings  of  the  week.  He  spoke  accordingly 
the  next  evening,  but  having  a  very  modest 
estimate  of  himself,  and  feeling  that  the  peo- 
ple would  desire  to  hear  Mr.  Campbell;  he 
took  the  cars  for  home,  and  left  Mr.  C.  as  he 
said,  "to  alternate  with  himself." 

Mr.  Coleman  edited,  with  J.  \V.  Goss,  The 


BULLARD,  COLEMAN,  SHELBURNE.      139 

Christian    Publisher    in  Charlottesville.      He 
died  in  Florida,  April  21,  1880. 

Silas  Shelburne  was  the  "  Raccoon  "  John 
Smith  of  Virginia.  He  was  born,  June  4, 
1790,  the  son  of  James  Shelburne,  a  Baptist 
minister.  After  deep  religious  convictions  he 
was  baptized,  June,  18 16,  and  soon  after  was 
ordained  to  the  ministry.  He  was  very  suc- 
cessful from  the  beginning.  He  was  remark- 
able for  his  good  common  sense,  strong  char- 
acter, poetic  spirit  and  oratory.  While  aiding 
his  father  in  a  protracted  meeting,  several  per- 
sons having  professed  conversion,  presented 
themselves  for  membership.  His  father  said, 
' '  Let  them  be  examined  to  see  whether  they 
can  give  a  satisfactory  Christian  experience  or 
not."  "Father,"  said  young  Silas,  "that  is 
not  in  accord  with  the  teaching  of  the  apostles. 
How  can  these  men  who  have  been  sinners  all 
their  lives,  and  who  have  never  lived  a  Chris- 
tian life,  give  a  Christian  experience  ?  They 
can  only  give  a  sinner's  experience.  You 
might  as  well  require  every  young  couple  who 
come  to  you  to  be  married,  to  give  a  married  ex- 
perience before  you  perform  the  marriage  cere- 
mony." "Go  on,  Silas,  and  do  right,"  said 
the  old  man.  They  were  received  on  their 
Confession  of  Faith  in  Christ.     Reading  The 


140  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

Christian  Baptist  he  was  impressed  with  the 
"ancient  order  of  things"  and  introduced  it 
in  the  churches.  Violent  opposition  soon  arose 
against  these  efforts  to  change  Baptist  usages 
and  theories  and  the  churches  for  which  Shel- 
burne  labored  separated  from  the  Meherrin 
Association. 

He  traveled  extensively  in  the  state  and 
by  his  faithful  preaching  and  pure  life  did 
much  to  extend  the  principles  of  reform.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  historic  conference  in 
Richmond  called  to  consider  the  matter  of 
Union  between  the  Baptists  and  Disciples. 
There  were  sixteen  representatives  from  each 
church.  Among  the  Baptists  were  Jeter, 
Poindexter,  Burrows  and  Broadus,  and  among 
the  Disciples  Pendleton,  Goss,  Henley,  Ains- 
lie,  Walthal,  Crenshaw,  Duval  and  Hopson. 
It  was  at  this  meeting  Father  Shelburne  said 
to  Dr.  Jeter  when  he  wished  to  hear  the  Baptist 
articles  read:  "Trot  out  yer  calf,  Jeremiah. 
When  I  goes  to  buy  a  calf  I  always  wants  to 
see  him  before  I  buvs  him.  Trot  out  your 
calf!" 

Numerous  anecdotes  of  this  character  are 
told  of  this  quaint,  guileless,  yet  powerful  and 
fearless  preacher  of  the  heroic  age.  At  a 
preachers'   meeting  where  the   brethren  were 


BULLARD,  COLEMAN,  SHELBURNE.     141 

under  criticism  some  one  gently  suggested  that 
Brother  Shelburne  might  be  more  useful  as  a 
preacher  if  he  would  avoid  certain  peculiarities 
of  speech  as  u  agin'  "  for  against,  and  "  gwine  " 
for  going,  etc.  The  old  man  arose  and  said: 
11  Brethren,  if  that  is  all  you  got  agin'  me,  I'm 
gwine  'long."  A  preacher  noted  for  a  certain 
indefiniteness  in  his  sermons  preached  before 
him  on  one  occasion  and  asked  his  opinion  of 
the  discourse.  "Wall,  brother,' '  said  the  old 
man,  "  thar's  a  pint  down  here  on  the  bay 
they  call  '  Pint  No  Pint.1  You  wrere  as  near 
thar  to-day  as  you'll  ever  be."  Some  one 
asked  him  at  a  meeting  where  he  preached  in 
the  presence  of  Mr.  Campbell  if  he  was  not 
afraid  to  preach  before  Alexander  Campbell. 
"Xo,"  he  replied,  "I  have  preached  before 
Almighty  God  many  a  time,  and  I  don't  know 
why  I  should  fear  to  preach  before  Alexander 
Campbell!"  Present  one  day  at  a  baptizing 
in  Old  Sycamore  Church,  Richmond,  as  the 
pastor,  W.  J.  Pettigrew,  withdrew  to  the 
dressing  room,  and  a  dead  silence  prevailed, 
he  arose  from  the  front  seat  where  he  had 
stretched  himself,  and  turning  his  beaming 
face  upon  the  congregation,  said:  "  Brethren, 
sing  a  song  while  Brother  Pettigrew  has  gone 


142  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

to  change  his  breeches  !"     There  was  a  sensa- 
tion as  they  raised  the  hymn: 

11  How  happy  are  they  who  their  Savior  obey." 
He  died  Sept.  7,   1871.     Three  of  his  chil- 
dren and  three  grandchildren  have  been  preach- 
ers of  the  Gospel. 

Review:  What  is  said  of  the  position  of  Vir- 
ginia in  this  history?  Who  was  Chester  Bullard? 
How  did  he  become  associated  with  Campbell  ?  What 
is  said  of  the  struggles  of  Coleman  ?  Give  some  ac- 
count of  Shelburne. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

ISAAC   ERRETT. 

Of  the  generation  immediately  following 
the  pioneers,  the  most  conspicuous  figure  is 
Isaac  Krrett.  If  any  one  after  Campbell  could 
be  said  to  have  taken  the  position  of  leader 
among  the  Disciples  it  was  the  editor  of  the 
Christian  Standard.  Isaac  Brrett  was  born  in 
the  city  of  New  York,  January  2,  1820.  His 
father,  Henry  Brrett,  was  from  Ark'. 
South  Ireland.  His  mother  was  Sophia  K 
mish  of  New  York.     They  had  seven  children 


ISAAC   ERRETT.  143 

of  whom  Isaac  was  the  fifth.  Henry  Errett 
was  himself  a  man  of  talent  and  piety,  and 
published,  at  twenty-three  years  of  age,  a  work 
on  "The  Constitution  of  the  Apostolic 
Churches." 

When  Isaac  was  five  years  of  age  his 
father  died.  He  was  sent  to  school  and  never 
forgot  his  first  teacher — an  Englishman  whose 
h's  were  always  in  the  way,  and  spelled  and 
pronounced  the  word  ' '  hell ' ' — *  '  haitch-he- 
double-hell,  'ell"  In  1832  the  family  re- 
moved to  Pittsburg,  and  the  following  year 
Isaac  was  baptized  in  the  Allegheny  river  by 
Robert  McLaren.  His  mother  secured  a  place 
for  him  as  boy  of  all  work  in  a  book  store. 
He  resolved  to  become  a  printer  and  in  his 
seventeenth  year  bound  himself  to  Mr.  A.  A. 
Anderson,  in  whose  office  he  became  a  master 
workman.  "  During  my  apprenticeship,"  he 
tells  us,  "I  diligently  employed  my  leisure 
hours  in  studying,  and  having  but  limited 
means  to  rely  on,  kept  bachelor's  hall  and 
lived  on  about  one  dollar  per  wTeek  that  I 
might  have  means  of  improvement."  He 
gives  at  this  time  two  rules  of  his  life  : 

14  1.  I  will,  with  the  help  of  God,  rise  at 
four  o'clock  and  spend  until  six  in  reading  the 
Bible  and  prayer. 


144  SKETCHES   OF  OUR  PIONEERS. 

11  2.  Monday  and  Tuesday  shall  be  de- 
voted to  the  Intelligeyiccry  Wednesday  to  gen- 
eral reading,  Thursday  to  the  study  of  some 
science  until  noon,  the  remainder  to  visiting, 
etc.,  Friday  and  Saturday  to  preparing  for 
the  service  of  the  Lord's  day." 

In  1839  and  1840  he  was  engaged  in  school 
teaching.  He  gave  much  time  to  the  church  and 
spoke  often  in  the  public  services.  April  21, 
1839,  he  preached  his  first  regular  sermon  and 
June  18,  1840,  was  set  apart  as  an  evangelist. 
His  salary  was  $300.  His  work  in  Pittsburg 
was  successful,  his  fame  as  a  preacher  spread 
abroad,  and  in  1840  he  was  called  to  New 
Lisbon,  Ohio.  This  was  the  first  church  to  come 
out  fully  upon  the  ground  held  by  the  Disciples 
seventeen  years  before.  New  Lisbon  agreed 
to  pay  Mr.  Hrrett  $500  a  year.  The  first 
year  they  raised  $250;  the  second  year  they 
arranged  for  S250  for  half  his  time;  the  third 
year  he  was  compelled  to  raise  all  his  salary 
by  holding  meetings.  His  work  of  five  years 
here  was  richly  blessed.  March,  1849,  he 
removed  to  North  Bloomfiekl.  While  here 
he  took  great  interest  in  the  founding  of  the 
"Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Institute,"  now 
Hiram  College.  He  was  constantly  in  de- 
mand   as   an    evangelist.      On   one  occasion. 


ISAAC   ERRETT.  145 

preaching  near  Bloomfield,  only  one  person 
was  present  at  his  appointment.  The  preacher, 
nothing  daunted  by  the  smallness  of  his  audi- 
ence, read  a  chapter,  sang  a  hymn,  prayed, 
sang  another  hymn,  and  then  preached  and 
extended  an  invitation.  The  congregation 
arose  and  responded  with  one  accord.  He 
said  it  was  the  only  instance  in  his  experience 
in  which  the  whole  congregation  came  forward! 

This  auditor  was  Edwin  Wakefield  who  be- 
came one  of  the  most  successful  preachers 
among  the  Disciples. 

In  1850  Mr.  Errett  divided  his  time  with 
Warren.  The  same  year  he  made  an  exten- 
sive tour  in  New  York.  His  pastorate  at 
Warren  extended  over  a  period  of  six  years, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1856  he  removed  to 
Michigan,  where  he  labored  principally  at 
Muir,  Ionia,  and  Detroit,  from  1856  to  1865. 
In  1857  he  wras  chosen  corresponding  secre- 
tary of  the  American  Christian  Missionary  So- 
ciety, and  also  served  for  a  time  as  co-editor  of 
the  Harbinger,  and  agent  of  Bethany  College. 

Mr.  Errett  was  called  to  the  Biblical  depart- 
ment of  Hiram  College  in  1865,  and  December 
22  of  that  year  the  first  meeting  was  held  at 
the  home  of  T.  W.  Phillips,  Newcastle,  Pa., 
out  of  which  grew  the  Christian   Publishing 


146  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

Association  and  the  Christian  Stajidard.  J. 
A.  Garfield,  W.  S.  Streator,  J.  P.  Robinson, 
T.  W.  and  C.  M.  Phillips,  G.  W.  N.Yost,  and 
W.  J.  Ford  were  chosen  directors,  and  Isaac 
Errett  editor.  There  was  a  general  demand 
for  a  weekly  paper  which  should  exhibit  the 
apostolic  spirit  as  well  as  the  apostolic  letter, 
and  this  the  projectors  of  the  new  journal 
aimed  to  supply.  It  was  first  issued  from  99 
Bank  street,  Cleveland,  April  7,  1866,  and  its 
first  page  was  devoted  to  a  memorial  of  A. 
Campbell  who  had  just  fallen  asleep. 

The  object  of  the  paper  as  set  forth 
by  the  editor  was  three- fold:  (1)  The  turn- 
ing of  the  world  to  Christ.  (2)  The 
union  of  believers  in  the  fellowship  of  the 
Gospel.  (3)  The  education  of  Christians  into 
a  nobler  spiritual  life.  "  It  is  the  only  weekly 
among  us,"  he  said  later,  "  that  advocates  or- 
ganized effort  for  missionary  purposes."  In 
July,  1869,  the  paper  was  removed  to  Cincinnati. 

It  was  now  that  Isaac  Errett  began  his 
great  work.  The  influence  of  his  voice  and 
pen  in  directing  the  movement  inaugurated 
by  the  pioneers  can  not  be  overestimated. 
The  grand  principles  for  which  they  had  con- 
tended were  luminously  stated  and  ably  advo- 
cated by  him  ;  the  cause  saved  from  a  narrow, 


ISAAC   ERRETT.  147 

selfish,  and  sectarian  spirit  that  threatened  its 
life;  and  the  great  and  vital  interests  of  unity, 
organization,  and  aggressive  spiritual  and  evan- 
gelistic power  were  preserved  and  mightily  en- 
larged. He  was  easily  the  man  for  the  time. 
In  November,  1871,  Mr.  Errett  held  a 
week's  meeting  in  Augusta,  Georgia,  for 
which  the  church  gave  him  a  freewill  offering 
of  $  1 ,000.  The  same  year  he  preached  regu- 
larly for  the  church  in  Chicago,  and  continued 
at  intervals  to  do  so  till  1875.  His  earnest  ad- 
vocacy of  organized  missionary  work  among 
the  women  of  the  church  had  much  to  do  with 
the  organization  of  the  C.  W.  B.  M.  in  1874; 
and  under  his  leadership  also,  the  Foreign 
Christian  Missionary  Society  came  into  being 
in  1875,  of  which  he  was  made  president.  His 
labors  at  this  period  were  immense.  Preach- 
ing constantly,  lecturing  before  the  colleges, 
editing  his  paper,  directing  the  missionary  in- 
terests, conducting  an  enormous  correspond- 
ence, burdened  wTith  the  care  of  all  the  church- 
es— he  was  worked  to  the  utmost  limit.  His 
faithfulness  even  in  the  minute  details  of  bus- 
iness may  be  inferred  from  his  remark  to  the 
writer  of  this  sketch  that  not  a  line  entered  the 
Stayidard  which  did  not  pass  three  times  under 
his  eye. 


14S  SKETCHES   OF   OUR   PIONEERS. 

In  1880  Mr.  Errett  prepared  his  "Even- 
ings with  the  Bible, ' '  pronounced ' 'the  crowning 
literary  work  of  his  life,"  and  issued  in  three 
volumes.  His  other  works  given  to  the  pub- 
lic at  different  times  were  "  Our  Position, M 
44  Walks  About  Jerusalem,"  "  Talks  to  Bere- 
ans,"  "Letters  to  Young  Christians,"  "  Life 
of  Geo.  E.  Flower,"  and  "Linsey  Woolsey 
and  Other  Addresses.' '  His  writings,  in  the 
noblest  Anglo-Saxon,  are  characterized  by 
great  clearness,  vigor,  logical  arrangement, 
profound  insight,  chaste  and  delicate  humor, 
thorough  and  satisfactory  treatment.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  symmetrical  of  men,  well  bal- 
anced, full-orbed,  grandly  adjusted.  Phys- 
ically, intellectually,  spiritually,  he  was  great. 
His  influence  cannot  die.  December  19,  1888, 
he  joined  the  hosts  about  the  Throne. 

RKVIKW :  Who  is  most  prominent  among  the 
leaders  of  the  generation  following  the  pioneers? 
Give  the  history  of  Errett's  youth.  What  were  the 
rules  of  his  life  ?     What  is   said  of  his   work  at  N 

<>n?     Tell  of  the  founding   of  the  Standard  and 
object     What  of  Mr.  Errett's  connection  with  the 
Missionary  Cause?    Of  his  writings?  Of  his  character 
and  work.  ? 


Biographical  Literature. 


Life  of  J.  T.  Johnson.    Rogtr*. 

44     M  L.  L.  Pinkerton.     Shackelford, 

*•     "  John  Smith.      Will  tarns. 

41     "   Elijah  Goodwin.     Maths*. 

"    "  a  Pioneer  Preacher.    Mitchell, 

*    *   Walter  Scott.    Baxter. 

44    44  James  A.  Garfield.     Green, 

44     44   Knowles  Shaw. 

44    44  A.  Campbell.     Grafton, 

44     "  Judge  Black.     Clayton, 

44     44   Timothy  Coop.     Moore. 

44    44   Isaac  Errett.    Lamar, 

44    44  Jacob  Creath,  Jr.    Donan, 
Autobiography  of  Samuel  Rogers, 
44  44  Frank  G.  Allen. 

Memoirs  of  A.  Campbell.    Richardson, 
Memorial  of  J.  K.  Rogers. 
Life  and  Times  of  B.  Franklin. 
44  J.  T.  Walsh. 
Sketches  in  Living  Pulpit.    Moore, 

44  ,4  Old  Faith  Restated.     Garrison. 

Early  History  of  Disciples  in  Western  Reserve.    May  den. 
Dawn  of  Reformation  in  Missouri.    Haley 
Reminiscences  and  Sermons.    Frazee, 
Home  Life  of  A.  Campbell.     Mrs.  Campbell. 
Personal  Recollection  of  Pardee  Butler. 
Story  of  an  Earnest  Life.    Da:  . 
Life  of  George  Edward  Flower.    Errett. 
Reminiscences  of  J.  A.  Garfield.    Fuller, 
Tale  of  a  Pioneer  Church.     Vogel, 


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